The Kids Are Alright
by DominoMags
Summary: It has been 4.5 years. Izuku and Mina are living together and work as a hero team. The new symbol of peace and the premier acid-based heroine are now about to undergo a new, perilous adventure: parenthood.
1. Chapter 1

Izuku Midoriya: The hero known as Deku, 9th wielder of the quirk, One-For-All, successor of All Might, and symbol of peace. Well he was working towards it. He still felt like he had some ways to go before truly being worthy of that title, but he was getting there. Now, however, the curly haired young man had a new responsibility before him. He had filled out the paperwork and was finally cementing it. In just a few moments, he would be the legal guardian of two children he rescued. Kota and Eri were, as far as the government was concerned, his kids. Granted, Kota had the Pussycats, but it was decided, after some deliberation, that Izuku would watch after him. Eri, on the other hand, didn't have anyone. It was in the hands of the heroes that saved her. Deku's colleague, Lumillion, had been the one to really save Eri, but the two young men decided Izuku would be best for the task after much deliberation. Currently, the kids were being watched by Izuku's mom while he took care of the paperwork and took care of a few villains on the way to visit his mom and pick up the children. He wasn't the best at domestic tasks, though he taught himself a little, with help from some Yuuei friends. He would be getting takeout tonight though.

First, however, he had some criminals to take care of. Nothing major, luckily, though he was somewhat disappointed by how easy it was. There was this one foreign villain with no quirk. He mainly used disguises and simple traps. Midoriya was a bit perplexed by what the strange man with a pronounced chin thought he would accomplish here, but he respected his drive to stand up to heroes while being quirkless (If only he had used his energy for good.) and was happy to apprehend him for the authorities and head to his mom's house. It felt like so long ago that he had lived there. It felt like ages since All Might had bowed before Izuku's mom and begged the small woman for the ability to guide young Midoriya and oversee his growth. He missed All Might dearly, but he would feel sorrow for his mentor later. Things were going smoothly. That is, until a large explosion went off two blocks to his right. He steeled himself and leapt into action. He wondered if they were involved with the League or if they were free agents. First thing was first though. He had to evaluate the situation and save any civilians he could, defending them when he needed to. There was only one villain it seemed. He appeared to be a man in his mid-twenties with a quirk enabling him to completely delete sections of a controlled area, such as pavement, building foundations, or even just a simple door. He had a half cowl, showing spiky blonde hair, and a black costume with white gloves and boots. His logo looked like a white jar with Black scissors inside, opened to form an X.

Deku lunged at the villain, who appeared to be reveling in the destruction, which meant, fortunately, his guard was down. A well-placed kick with full cowl shoot knocked the man aside and allowed Izuku to grab as many civilians as he could grab. He wasn't as large as his predecessor, but he still managed to grab a good amount of people and bring them to safety a block away. Unfortunately, the villain recovered quickly. "That smarts, asshole! Wait…. you're the guy who's the new All Might, right? His replacement or something?" Izuku, nervous, yet steadfast stood his ground and nodded with, donning a smile underneath his hood. "I'm not All Might. I am Deku." Izuku feinted the deletion villain and grabbed more people, taking them to safety as quick as possible, though not as fast as, say, Ingenium. He reassured the victims. "It will all be alright. I am here." Immediately after those words of reassurance, his opponent grabbed him and slammed him into the ground. "I'm not finished with you, Deku. Seriously, that's your hero name?"

The man may not have been able to match Izuku strength for strength, but he still made it as hard as he could for Deku to rescue more people. "ya didn't think I just deleted shit, did ya, worthless?" Suddenly, the deleted debris reappeared directly above Izuku and the people he saved. This wasn't good. He would defend these people to his last breath. Pity it was the day he was essentially becoming a single father. He made calculations in his head and prepared to deliver a kick to the giant concrete slab above him., when he caught a whiff of something. It almost smelled like "…acid?" The block started to melt as acid flew out from nowhere. It was now at least manageable enough for Izuku to get out of the way without injuring those he rescued. Soon, a pink woman in a strange, yet familiar and formfitting outfit appeared in front of him. "Have no fear! Alien Queen is here!" She turned to the young man behind her and helped him up. Her smile dropped a bit. "Are you ok, babe? Sorry I was late" Deku nodded and smiled. "Doing better now. Thanks, Alien Queen." "Make it up to me at home." She said with a wink. Deku blushed and stuttered. "Mi... A-Alien Queen. Please." "Am I interrupting something? Are you discussing how fucking stupid your names are?" Mina chimed in with her arms akimbo and her left hip towards her partner. "I'll have you know we have awesome names. Why, what's yours?" The villain growled and posed dramatically. "Listen well, you damn heroes, because it's the last name you'll ever hear. I am Cut Paste, the deleter…" There was a moment of silence, followed by the two young heroes chuckling, then bursting out laughing. "Really? That's the one you chose? Are you married to that name?" Cut Paste got angry and Defensive. "I'm working on it, damnit! Shut up!"

Deku whispered. "Mina, can you hold off Cut Paste while I get these people to safety." She pouted and stretched with one eye open, her black sclera gazing contrasting with her yellow irises. "I suppose. Please don't call him that though. It's dumb." Deku kissed her and nodded. "Thank you. I'll be back soon." And with that, the two broke off from one another, with the acid. "Time to empty the recycle bin, Cut-rate." The pink woman smiled defiantly and skated on a stream of acid, dancing around her opponent and shooting acid at him. She managed to get a few hits in, causing the rearrangement- quirk user to scream in pain and lose focus for a bit. "You pink bitch! What the hell? He deleted sections of the pavement around him, reforming them above Mina as she dodged athletically and sprayed acid towards him. "Is that all you can do, Copy pasta?" Out of nowhere, she tripped and tumbled, twisting her ankle. Cut Paste had placed a chunk of asphalt in her path while she was focused on him and the falling debris. "I'll ask you to get my stupid name right, thank you very much." He smiled at his small victory as he prepared to take advantage of the situation. He had deleted a nearby car and replaced it above her head as she tried to get up. "She cursed herself for failing to hold off a bad guy with an equally bad name. "Die Pinky!" he screamed. Mina gritted her teeth then smiled. "I'm not the only one who goofed, paste eater." He raised an eyebrow as he prepared to drop the car. However, the ground beneath him crumbled a little, causing him to stumble, leaving an opening. Suddenly, he took a kick to the jaw and tumbled backwards. It was Deku. He caught the car before it fell and placed it safely away from his girlfriend. He helped her up as she winced in pain. "Sorry I took a while. Had to get some people I missed. Here, let me. Help." "I'll be fine, Izu." She sassed as she tried standing up and winced in pain, but stood up and regained her composure. "So, what now?" Izuku asked. Mina shrugged. "I don't know, dude. You're the strategist…. Splash 'n' smash?" The hooded man in a costume vaguely resembling a rabbit nodded, a smile evident in his voice. "Splash 'n' Smash it is." As Cut Paste shot back up, stroking his sore jaw, Mina quickly skated behind him and splashed his feet with Acid. "Fuck! Not again!" Before he could use his quirk and admonish the two heroes for getting in his way, he was silenced by two familiar words. "Delaware SMAAAAAAAASH!". And with that, Cut Paste flew back twenty feet before skidding back ten more. The two costumed heroes high fived each other and tied up their adversary, helping clean up however they could before they left the rest to the authorities. They waved to the officers and citizens and made their exit to cheers and gratitude.

Once that was settled, they headed towards Izuku's childhood home, with Mina in his arms "Are you sure you're ok?" asked Deku. "I told you I'll be fine, hon. I've been worse, you big worry wart. How about you? I hope he didn't lay a scratch on you, Deku. That's my job." she said with a wink and a kiss. He blushed and stuttered. They had been together since high school and he still turned into a blushing mess. She loved this nerd to pieces. "M-mina please." "You know you like it, babe." She said with a wide, devious grin spreading across her face. "I'm not denying that." He smiled, while looking downward slightly. "You better not."

Mina fell silent for a few moments. "So…. we're about to be parents? Like, adoptive ones?" Izuku chuckled nervously. "Yeah. It's weird, isn't it? It's kind of scary." "Yeah it is." Mina chuckled as well. "Do… do you think we're ready?" Izuku smiled. "W-well, we already live together and have proved ourselves to be capable heroes." That wasn't what Mina asked, but she knew Izuku would get to the point and nail the shit out of it, giving the outgoing pink woman butterflies like only her buff dorky boyfriend could. "If we can face villains and natural disasters together, we can take on anything." And there it was. "Have I mentioned I love you, Midoriya Izuku?" she gazed at him with lilac in her cheeks. Red filled his cheeks in turn. "I love you more, Ashido Mina." She was almost worried she had activated her quirk on herself, because she felt herself melting in his arms. "Did you want me to put you down? You said you were fine." "Nah. I'm happy just where I am." The two young lovers basked in each other's warmth as they headed towards a new chapter in their lives.


	2. Picking Up the Kids

The two arrived at Izuku's childhood home to get the kids. Eri was timidly playing with some of Izuku's old toys while Kota was watching cartoons. Izuku's mom greeted her son and his girlfriend as they walked through the door. Eri was a shy girl, and hardly outgoing. However, she stopped what she was doing when she saw Izuku and Mina, running happily to greet them. The years have certainly helped her come out of her shell a little, at least towards a few people, two of whom had just entered.

"Hi, we're here." Izuku greeted his family.

"ZUKU! MIMI!"

Eri almost tripped over herself to see them. The girl was 8 years old, but still used the nicknames she had for them from when she was younger and Izuku would take her to the park after she was rescued and had adjusted to it. He had introduced her to Mina, who was far more outgoing than Izuku and Eri combined, but had this infectious energy that gradually drew the young girl in.

"Welcome you two! Eri and Kota have been wonderful." Inko greeted them. "I can't believe you made me a grandma already!"

Kota sat still, eyes transfixed on his program.

"Why are you still wearing your costumes to pick us up?"

"We got held up at work. Sup, everyone?" Mina said cheerily, flashing a large smile.

Kota still couldn't believe his aunt thought this was a good idea, not that he didn't appreciate it. Izuku saved his life. This boy who hated heroes and villains because of the loss of his parents had the utmost respect for the young man who gave him a renewed sense of trust in heroes. He still thought a lot of them were idiots and he wasn't clamoring to sign up for classes at Yuuei, but heroes birthed him, heroes raised him, and heroes saved him. He had to at least acknowledge that. His new mother, on the other hand, well, it was awkward for the young boy that he had seen the young woman naked almost 5 years ago. That was ages ago, he knew. It was just kind of weird that he would now be staying with her and Izuku.

He supposed his aunt's logic was sound: staying with some young heroes instead of his closest surviving relative was a bit of an unexpected move, so it might remove any target on his back from villains with a grudge, at least for a little while (Or until villains inevitably had a beef with Izuku and Mina), plus it wasn't like he was barred from visiting the Pussycats.) Furthermore, watching some heroes older than him but closer in age range than the older pros might offer him some perspective as to what path he might want to follow someday. Maybe not as a hero, but someone with further appreciation, living under the same roof as two different generations of quirked individuals. He could see it. He wasn't entirely used to it though. Not yet. It was funny to him how his quiet, sensitive new sister had fewer reservations than him about this. He would go with the flow though. He liked the two of them at the very least and valued them for their kindness and willingness to do what they thought was right. He was genuinely happy to see them. He just had his own way of showing it. He got up to greet them.

"Your mom is really mice by the way. Can we stay for here for dinner? We'll probably just have fast food otherwise."

" Yes, please. You're always welcome. I'm making Izuku's favorite."

Her son rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't say no to that. He was still taken aback by how his 9.5-year-old son sounded so much like an adult sometimes.

"Thanks, Ma Midori. We would love to!"

Truth be told, her cooking was better than anything either Izuku or Mina could muster, so that was a win there.

"Thanks, mom. We'll stay for dinner, then head back to the apartment. You should come over again sometime."

"That would be lovely. If we take the train, at last. I don't think travel by quirk is really my thing."

"Y-Yeah. I don't think I could handle worrying about dropping my mom."

"Oh? And you would drop me? I see how it is." Mina pouted and turned her head, then winked and stuck here tongue out at Izuku.

"T-that's not what I meant and you know it." Izuku professed in his usual adorkable way. Almost 5 years and it never got old.

Mina knew what he meant. She wasn't that old or fragile, but her quirk was attraction of small objects, so not anything like what her son or his girlfriend could do. That doesn't mean she wouldn't tease the man she loved though from time to time.

"Excellent! I will get it ready. Izuku, could you help me in the kitchen for a second?"

Izuku obliged while Ashido spent time with the kids. She had siblings, unlike Izuku, so while she hadn't usually seen herself as the parental type, she certainly had experience with kids. Izuku knew what this was about. His mom didn't exactly need his help that often, as she could move small things with her quirk, so if she needed some table settings, she could get them easily. They entered the kitchen and found a corner where they could talk privately while not drawing suspicion from Mina or the kids

"Have you asked her yet?" She asked quietly?

Izuku shook his head.

"Not yet. Waiting for the right time. We just became adoptive parents. I don't want to rush things."

He took the small box out of his pocket and showed the pink diamond ring to his mother.

"She loves you dear. I have no doubt she will accept. I understand your concerns though. Just don't wait too long. I know how much you overthink these things."

He nodded and smiled at his mother's words.

"Her birthday is next month. I think that will be it. Yeah." he smiled.

Inko cried happily. She was so proud of the man her son was now and of the life he was building with Mina, and now, Kota and Eri.


	3. Home From Grandma's

After dinner, the new family left and headed for home. They boarded their train. Eri sat with Izuku while Kota sat across from them with Mina. Eri had come to enjoy the train rides and looked out at the scenery. Izuku smiled at his new daughter looking out the window happily. Kota on the other hand sat in his seat, lost in thought. Mina noticed how bored he looked and fished through a hidden pocket in her costume. She handed her phone and headphones to the boy.

"Bored, Kota? I have some music and games on there."

Kota looked at his adoptive mother, somewhat coldly. It's not that he didn't like her. On the contrary. But in addition to the awkwardness of remembering what she looked like nude, he still had this innate fear of getting attached to Izuku and Mina. He had lost his birth parents. They were heroes as well, and they sacrificed themselves in a fight against the villain Izuku saved Kota from. He had the Pussycats, but they weren't without tragedy, like what happened to poor Ragdoll. She was scared. He didn't want to be rude and it had been years, but he was still a young boy who had gone through more than any child should have to go through. His focus returned to Mina. He took the phone and earbuds.

"Thank you." He nodded.

"Any time, Kota."

She smiled at her new son. She was still nervous about all this. She was ready and willing if Izuku was, but she wasn't exactly confident in her motherly abilities. Being a sibling, she was used to that. Being a mom? That was a whole new ballgame. She was outgoing and more open than Izuku, but she had her anxieties too. Could she be a mom? Did she have it in her? She relaxed herself. She could do this over time: For Izuku, for Kota and Eri, and for herself.

Kota cycled through the phone's music player. She noticed a few playlists, including one that was labeled "Midori's playlist 3". He assumed there was a history there, as his new parents were together for about 4 years or so. He was curious, but left it alone. It was a personal thing for her and Izuku. Even if they were his new mom and dad, it wasn't his business. He just pressed shuffle to see what played. A hip-hop song titled "Breakdance beach" played. It had a good beat and he was surprisingly pulled into it.

They soon reached their stop and got off together, with Izuku and Mina taking their respective child's hands while holding each other's. Kota had handed Mina her phone and earbuds back and they walked to the apartment together. Izuku took out the keys. He was so glad he had pockets built into his costume. He opened the door and took a deep breath. Much like when Mina had first moved in with him last year or so, this was a new beginning, and even if he had his fears and uncertainties, he knew Mina did too, so he wasn't alone. They could handle this together. They could handle anything. The two new parents looked at each other, then their new family. It was unintentional, but they spoke in unison.

"Here we are, kids. Go nuts."

Eri walked in hesitantly, like a shelter cat walking into a new house, getting used to the sounds and smells of this new, foreign environment. Kota just strolled in and got a feel of the place. He stood in the middle and drank it in. Both he and Eri had been saved, Eri even more so from what he had heard. He didn't know all the details, just that her dad was a villain and he wasn't exactly a loving father. He supposed he could understand why she was the way she was because of that. He lived a less harsh life, but he could understand pain, trauma, and loss all too well. Still, he found her shyness a bit grating sometimes. He would get used to it, he supposed.

"Where is my room? Are Eri and I sharing one?"

He spoke while putting his bag down. There wasn't a lot. He didn't own all that much and some of it was already moved in apparently. Same case for Eri. He assumed the young couple, while not loaded, still managed to buy some new things for their kids too, or at least had some hand-me downs for them (which was not only likely, but true, as Kota would find out)

"It's not the biggest apartment, so you two will be sharing a room. Izuku separated it into halves for you though." Mina said while patting her boyfriend on the back. He smiled his adorable, modest side smile. And did a mild bow. She loved how they rubbed off on each other, she thought. She then smirked to herself over how that sounded. There were children present now, so she would keep that between her and Izuku. Speaking of which, the two of them could use showers from their hero duties today, so they would take turns while the other took care of Kota and Eri and made sure they were getting along.

"I'm going to hit the shower, Izu. You probably need one too. Mind if I go first?"

She hugged him from behind and gave him a peck on the cheek. He blushed slightly and sighed happily. He was a bit bummed they had to take turns now. He was just getting used to their mutual activities without turning into a blushing mess. They had more responsibilities now though, and despite their young ages and their average rankings among the hero population (Mina was 25, while Izuku was 20), they would do their best.

"Sure thing, babe."

"You're the actual best, Izu." She said while prancing off to the bathroom in their room, but not before giving him a high-five, tagging him in for parental duties.

Izuku knew these kids quite well and had a calming spirit about him. It had gotten stronger as he built his confidence over the years. He wasn't exactly the picture of confidence and ego, but he had come a long way since his quirkless days. In fact, he was proud of himself, and the friends and family that had his back made him feel better.

All Might would be proud if he were still here. Izuku gave Eri and Kota a quick tour of the place before asking them what they wanted to do. Dinner had gone well. It was delicious as always, so everyone was full. If the kids wanted ice cream or something, there was some in the fridge, or Izuku could nip out with them to grab some. There was a parlor down the street that he and Mina frequented. Their milkshakes were fantastic. The apartment wasn't that far from Inko's, which was convenient if he wanted to visit her or vice versa. Plus, if anything came up, she was happy to watch the kids. If there was an emergency that required them both as a team, or if they needed some R & R, she was on speed dial, as were some other options.

Also of note, the apartment was not far from the area Izuku and Mina had first met u at. It was also where they went on their first date. Besides that, it was near their route for heroics, but far enough removed so that the kids could play without a villain attacking them, so it was both nostalgic and convenient. It was a pretty great place, even if it wasn't perfect (The air conditioner still needed repairs and there were a few squeaky floorboards.)

Eri wanted to play a board game. Kota didn't really care and just went along with it. Izuku told the children to wait in the living room, on the old, tan loveseat while he went to the game cupboard in the hallway. He figured he would look for one both would enjoy. This would be simple enough.

"STOP IT, KOTA!"

"Stop being a crybaby first."

Izuku had spoken too soon. He walked out to see what was the matter. Sure enough, Kota and Eri were arguing, with the young boy being grouchy towards his timid sister. Izuku didn't know what it was about, but he would find out. Whatever it was, he felt his shower and family game night would have to wait until this was resolved. Long ago, he learned that being a hero was getting involved, even when it's not your business, or something along those lines. Right now, this was his family now, with Mina. It was his business.

"What's the issue here? He asked.

"Kota was making fun of me because I'm quiet."

"No, I was trying to toughen you up because you hide and cry about everything. You're not much older than me. We're not two-year olds!

Izuku cared deeply for these two kids. Moreover, he didn't consider himself an authority figure, even if that sort of came with the territory of being a hero. People looked up to you, especially if you were one of the top heroes. You were a role model (or supposed to be), especially if you had a family of your own. He would have to be firm here.

"Kota, that's enough! Apologize to your sister, please."

Kota scoffed and walked to his room.

"I'll pass. I don't think I feel like playing games actually anyway." He said while walking to his room and closing the door.

Mina had just finished up and was dressed in a pink bathrobe for now with a towel on her head to dry her hair.

"I heard shouting. Is everything alright?"

Eri was crying while Izuku consoled her and dried her tears.

"We were going to have a family game night…. Now I think we need to have a talk with Kota. He was teasing Eri."

"I see. I'll handle it, Izu. I have more experience with children than you. Besides…"

She tagged his hand so he can take a shower while she watched over Eri and allowed Kota to blow off some steam.

"We don't want him racking you in the nads again." She chuckled softly. She might need those later when the kids are asleep.

"Thanks, Mina…. Being a parent is harder than I thought."

"Yeah."

They didn't know the half of it.


	4. Growing Pains

Izuku entered the bathroom and disrobed, placing his costume in the hamper, on top of Mina's. There was a chore wheel on the fridge that Izuku had set up. He and Mina took turns doing various tasks round the apartment. They found, as cheesy as it sounded out loud, working as a team was an effective way of keeping on top of things, in and outside of heroics. Besides, anything either of them could do to give the other a break was always a welcome idea, especially now that they had children in their care. They had adopted a tag-team system for some tasks that they were now implementing on their first day with Kota and Eri under their roof.

Izuku turned the shower on and stepped under the spray of water that came out. Their shower was with a pink shower curtain, adorned with super-deformed xenomorphs. Mina found it while shopping with Tooru and her cousin Shizuka one day and she didn't even hesitate to buy it. Mina thought it was awesome and even Izuku got a chuckle out of how ridiculous it was. He let the water wash over him as he relaxed lathered up the loofa sponge. His muscles were still a bit tense from the earlier battle, even if he had been in far worse scrapes.

Mina kneeled next to Eri and consoled her, wiping her tears and giving her a smile.

"Don't pay him mind. He's just a grouch."

"He doesn't like me, Mimi." Eri said solemnly, a tear still streaming down her face.

"I'll go talk to him in a bit. In the meantime, kiddo, we can watch TV or play a game. What would you like to do?"

"I want to take a nap."

Since the door to her room was shut tight because of Kota, that wasn't on the table.

"You can nap in our room, Eri. I'll talk to Kota."

Eri shook her head. She didn't want to be a bother. Besides, she was a big girl now, even if she was sensitive.

"I will sleep on the couch for now. It's ok."

Mina stroked the young girl's hair. Parenting would be hard. It already was. She might have experience babysitting, but she and Izuku were very likely in over their heads. How would this affect their hero careers? They were relatively new, compared to vets like Endeavor. Would this decision cut their careers short? Or, on the flipside, would their hero careers cut their family short? Mina shrugged and tried not to overthink it. That was her boyfriend's thing. Not hers. She kissed the young girl's forehead and got up.

"I'm going to talk to Kota now. Let me know if you need anything, Eri." The Pink woman said as she walked towards the kids' room.

"K, Mimi" yawned Eri as she curled up on the couch.

Izuku finished up in the shower and put on his green bathrobe. He entered his and Mina's room and changed into a plain black t-shirt and his All-might pajama bottoms. It was surreal wearing them, given that he was the man's successor and that…it was done. He missed the man dearly, but he would carry on his smile and his power. He might not have been the number one hero, but he would get there. For now, he was focused on being a hero to his girlfriend and to his children. He remembered something. He went back to the hamper and fished out the ring box.

He took it and placed it in his sock drawer, at the bottom. He had looked around all over Tokyo and even some smaller areas for a pink diamond and he finally found one. Next weekend, he would ask her to be his wife. They had been through so much together and were now raising kids together. It would be tough and planning a wedding would be just as hard. He wasn't planning on them getting married right away. They needed time and more money first, and to get the kids settled in. He loved her with all his heart though and couldn't imagine his life without her by his side. He was nervous, as expected, but he was ready to take the next step. Being a hero in the competitive world of pro-heroics was trouble enough as it is, but being a young up and comer with a family certainly wouldn't help his or Mina's chances. They were ready for it anyway though.

Izuku walked out of the room and saw Mina, finally ready to talk to Kota about his behavior. He smiled at the horned woman in front of him.

"Have you talked to Kota yet, Mina?" Izuku asked with some concern.

"Not yet. You were quick with your shower. Wanna do this together since you're here?" Mina said, skipping to her boyfriend, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah. We might as well. We're both his parents now. Where's Eri?

"Asleep on the couch." Mina stated with her hands behind her head.

Izuku and Mina knocked on the door to talk to Kota.

"Go away. I don't want to talk."

The boy had grown, in size and character, somewhat since he first met Izuku and Mina, but some things remained the same it would seem. He could be a sweetheart. They knew he could be. Right now, however, he was going back to old habits and lashing out, then isolating himself. Izuku thought on it.

"Mina… I think I know what's up."

Izuku put his hand on the door and took a breath, then opened it up. Kota was in the corner, on his bed. He seemed to have tears in his eyes but was trying to hide them. It looked to Mina like he was trying to suck them back into his eyes. He heard the door open and saw Mina and Izuku walk in.

"Kota. Sorry, for ignoring your warnings. I understand you must be stressed with this new arrangement. Having new parents who are heroes probably reminds you of your mom and dad. I'm sorry for opening old wounds." Izuku said, with his head bowed. Even if he and Mina were the heads of this house, they would not talk down to their kids.

"Yeah. It must be rough. Eri didn't do anything wrong though. You can't be doing that, Kota." Mina said with concern, a small departure from her laidback, bubbly attitude."

He didn't like people being overbearing. He wanted to be left alone and he was angry that they didn't get that. He was angry at Eri for being too weak. He was angry at these well-meaning heroes taking him into their home and taking care of him. He was angry that they would probably die too, just like his birth parents. Most of all though, he was angry at himself for being a brat to people who were nothing but kind to him, who had saved his life, and who had inspired him a little. He was angry at how he had treated poor Eri for being shy, especially when here he was, cooped up in their shared room, sulking. He would be ok eventually, or at least well enough to talk. He wanted some space though. And he would have it.

"I SAID OUT!" Kota cried.

Mina and Izuku had undergone rigorous training with peers and pros alike. They had faced countless villains, training scenarios, disasters, and other life-threatening scenarios. They were not prepared, however, for the young boy in their care to wash them out the door with his quirk and lock the door.

Kota now felt worse. He had just used his quirk on the young couple who had adopted him, on the young hero who saved him from his parents' murderer. Now he felt worse and would not leave his room for the rest of the night.

"Well, this was a fun first night, Izu."

Mina said with a sigh as she sat at the small table in the kitchen area and drank some coffee. Eri had been woken up by Kota's outburst, and Izuku and Mina being slammed against the wall by water, so she decided to just rest in her parents' room.

Izuku had just finished mopping and had changed out of his wet clothes into a white tank-top, featuring a bald-hero in a yellow jumpsuit and white cape, and grey sweatpants. Mina was in a black nightgown she found on sale the same day as the shower curtain.

"I didn't expect it to be easy, but this is way harder than I expected." The young man stated as he looked at the ceiling, wondering how many noise complaints they would get and if the water had leaked into someone else's apartment. "I just want to do well by these kids, Mina. But did we make the right decision?"

Mina had been asking herself this question too. Were they fit to be parents? The government seemed to think so, but still. They were young heroes in their twenties, living together in a small apartment. They might have trained to be heroes, but could they be parents, especially this young? Mina shook her head. S she remembered something Izuku had said to her. She put her cup down and waked up to him, wrapping her arms around the tall, muscular form of her lover.

"We're a team, Izu. If we can handle the league of villains or an earthquake, we can handle this. "

She wanted this to work. She was doubtful and reflective, like Izuku, but she was ready to stand by him no matter what.

"We got this!" She said, giving a thumbs-up with her face buried in his shoulders.

He chuckled and smiled with his eyes closed, then turned around and kissed her.

"Yeah." He returned the thumbs up. "We got this."

They returned to their room, where Eri was curled up in a basket chair, and quietly got into bed. Izuku turned out the lights and Mina snuggled up to him.

"Good night, Nerd daddy." She smiled and winked.

"I-Is this going to be a new thing?"

"Mmmmmaybe~"i she hummed.

"Good night, Pink mama." He chimed in.

She giggle-snorted at how adorkable that sounded.

"Is that going to be a new thing?" she raised an eyebrow and cocked her head.

"Mmmmaybe." He chuckled.

"We shall have words about this, Mr. Midoriya. Good night, babe."

"Good night.

The two fell asleep in each other's arms. Thirty minutes later, the door creaked open and Kota walked in with a pillow and blanket and fell asleep on the floor opposite Eri's chair.

i 


	5. I'll Catch Up

Izuku woke up as his alarm went off around 7:00 AM. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and gently shook Mina. He wasn't sure what they were going to do with the kids. They should probably go to school sometime soon. He would have to enroll them. Maybe at his old school, or Mina's. That was something they had to talk about. For now, however, they had to get up. They had hero duties to perform. They might have been relative newcomers on the Pro-circuit, but they still knew the drill. It's what they went to school for. It's what they wished to do, for themselves, for the world at large, and now, the children in their care.

"M-Mina…Mina." Wake up. We have work to do.

The pink woman rolled over, her curly hair mussed up from sleeping in her beloved's arms.

"Five more minutes, Zuku…or ten…orrrrrrrggrgrg" she slurred and trailed off before getting comfortable, then shifting back towards the warmth of her boyfriend. If they weren't so dedicated to heroics (and paying rent), he would be ok with staying in a bit longer. However, people needed them. They were in the top 30 hero rankings for the country, but they had worked hard to get there and still had further to go. Some of their friends were on that list. Ochako would have been pretty far up had she not moved to America ("The Gravity Girl of Cape Canaveral: Uravity." She had gone far. Her parents and friends couldn't have been prouder.) Todoroki, Iida, Momo and Bakugou had worked hard and had passed them by as well, though Endeavor and Best Jeanist remained at the top, followed by several of the other old pros. Being in the top 25 wasn't too shabby though, especially not when their former teammates were there along with them. They were a Dynamic Duo these days, but if they ever needed them, Kirishima and Shinso were there to get the band back together, briefly anyway.

What weighed on Izuku's mind now was what to do about the kids. They could drop them off at his mom's again for now, but they couldn't do that forever. They really needed to jump on school registration, so that Kota and Eri could get a good education (and not remain unsupervised). Another alternative would be working in shifts. Both heroes had done solo patrols before. However, as members of a team, they preferred sticking together.

"Zuku, you're mumbling again." Mina moaned groggily, her hair falling into her eyes slightly.

Izuku blushed and then gently nudged her.

"Sorry. Just trying to figure out what to do with Eri and Shota while we're on patrol." Izuku yawned, shaking off the sleep from his system.

She nuzzled into his neck and kissed him softly and gazed at him with eyes half opened.

"We can drop them off at your mom's again. For now, at least." Her voice was soft and velvety to Izuku's ears. He almost got lost in her voice, but nodded. He had considered that option.

"Maybe. We should get them enrolled in school"

"Shit. I forgot about that." She slumped away from him and stared at the ceiling.

"W-We should jump on that, Mina. "Izuku sighed, sitting up. They really needed to get their act together. Heroics were tough. Being a aren't, Izuku had always imagined was challenging, and he and Mina could confirm, even after barely getting their toes wet (though they did get soaked to the bone last night).

"Yeah, probably." She stretched "Let's shower and get dressed."

Izuku got flustered and turned bright red. They had been together for over 4 years and he still blushed and stuttered around her when she said stuff like this, though he had gotten a lot more used to it now.

"M-Mina! What about the kids?" He almost fell back onto the bed.

"They're asleep. Besides, they're old enough to know that parents do these things. If they don't know, we'll give them the talk." She said softly while trailing her slender pink fingers along his shoulder, sending shivers down his spine. "Besides, we're just saving time and water. It's not like we're going to fuck in the shower while our kids are in the next room." She smiled. She was correct. She might have been flirtatious and sensual and deeply in love with her green-haired nerd, but she knew the basics of restraint and what not to do around children.

Izuku then came to the realization that he had never done the laundry yet and his and Mina's costumes were sitting in the hamper, covered in dust, acid, and a little bit of blood. He would have slapped his head and panicked had he and Mina not had auxiliary costumes made up. Just one each, as they weren't exactly top heroes just yet and weren't made of money (they had just enough). Still, Izuku thought ahead for situations like this. There was a precedence for this occurrence.

Eri slowly woke up, and rubbed her eyes as she shifted in her chair.

"Mornin' Mimi. Mornin' Zuku." She yawned. She saw Kota sleeping in the corner and looked away. Had he snuck in when everyone else was asleep? He looked to be sound asleep still, so she likely didn't get that apology yet and was still not happy with her new brother for how he acted. Still, the fact that he snuck in and slept there hinted at some remorse.

"Good morning." Izuku smiled at the little girl as she crawled out lazily and walked to the bed.

"Morning, Eri." Mina chimed in, still feeling the siren song of the bed sheets on which she slept, using all her willpower as a hero not to just stay for ten more minutes and pull Izuku in with her.

Kota groaned and rolled over, bringing him to his new parents' attention. They would have to talk to him still about his treatment of Eri and his use of his quirk on both of his adoptive parents. For now, Izuku carried the young boy back to his room. He remained asleep the whole time. Izuku closed the door and then went back to his room with Mina.

"He's still asleep." He exhaled as he sat back on the bed next to Mina, who was now sitting up in bed and talking to Eri.

"You might have to stay at Grandma Midori's place for a bit while Mom and dad go beat up some bad guys." Mina stated. She was somewhat remorseful as this was something she had worried about, and was 100% certain Izuku constantly thought about it too: being torn between the goals of being a hero and being parents. It was possible, but were they out of their depth?

Eri was a timid and sensitive little girl, but she was understanding. However, she was still a little girl nonetheless.

"I know you and Zuku want to be heroes…and people need you… but please don't leave."

Izuku and Mina nearly cried. They took this little girl who had lived a traumatic life into their home and they couldn't help but feel guilty. Still, as heroes and has parents, they had to balance both duties. Izuku knelt next to Eri and smiled.

"I know it's rough. We will always be here for you and Kota, Eri. Even when we're elsewhere. Besides, you and your brother will have to go to school during the day. You're going to learn and grow and make friends, and even when it's scary and you feel powerless and alone, you'll have us." His words were pure and powerful. They came from a personal place.

Eri nodded and hugged Izuku.

"I understand. But we're not in school yet. Can you stay just today? Even just one of you?"

Izuku wanted to be a hero. It was all he had ever wanted. It's how he met All Might. It's how he impressed him enough to inherit the power of One For All. It's how he got into Yuuei and met his friends. It's how he met Mina. It's also how he met and saved his children. However, he and Mina made this decision and the would accept all that came with it. Izuku closed his eyes and nodded, before opening them again and smiling softly at the little girl before him. He turned to Mina.

"Just for one day. We'll work in shifts. We must enroll them in school asap. For now, you go ahead. I will stay with the kids. At least until I can get a sitter for them." Izuku wanted to be there with Mina. He wanted to fulfill All Might's Legacy and reach the top. He had worked so hard. However, he accepted he still had more work to do and this numbered amongst his duties.

"Izuku, are you sure? I mean, we're a team."

"And we have worked solo before. Besides, I have a duty as a hero to never abandon sad children."

Mina knew there were more children that would need him, but that he would rush in as soon as he could like the brave and handsome man he had become, despite still being the same dork she fell for. She kissed him and hugged him, then hugged Eri.

"Ok, ya big cheeseball. Alien Queen will pick up the slack." She smiled confidently and gave a thumbs-up. Mina got a quick shower and changed into her spare costume, courtesy of the support company that made her first. Mei Hatsume currently worked there and had made some plans for updates for her costume and Izuku's. They were still in the works tough.

Izuku went towards the kitchen after Mina left and passed the black wireless phone on the counter. The message machine was blinking, so Izuku checked it quickly.

"Midoriya, my boy. It's Gran Torino. I heard you and your girl decided to adopt some kids you rescued. Rookie move if you want to reach the top, but ya still got a good heart kid. Are they even in school? Come over here. I want to talk to you. Use your quirks. It will be quicker."

"GET YOUR WORTHLESS ASS UP, DEKU! YOU HAVE A HEARTY BREAKFAST OF MY DUST WAITING FOR YOU, YOU LOSER! I'm not going to have you get in my fucking way like a goddamn boulder for so damn long after being nothing but a pebble, just to drop out because you and Pinky decided you wanted to play house. I'm going to make my way to the top and I'm not going to have you get in my damn way at every step, just to fall behind like a fucking scrub! GET TO WORK CARRYING THAT DAMN LEGACY!"

"Deku! Mina! It's Ochako! I'm visiting next week and I want to see the both of you. I heard you were adopting? That's so cool! Best of luck. Keep in touch! Bye!"

"Yo, it's Ejiro. What are you two lovebirds up to? Sorry I haven't kept in touch. I heard you guys adopted Eri and that little boy who kicked Izuku in the balls. Damn! But man, that's crazy. Best of luck. We should catch up again next time I'm in town. It's almost your double birthday, isn't it? I'll drop by. The past few months have been rough, especially since I carved out a name for myself in a new prefecture. Anyway, I know I've been a bit of a stranger, but don't go following my lead. I miss you guys. Color Guard for life, buds. Kirishima out!"

"Izuku, sweetie. Did you remember to register the kids for school? I can help you with that. Also, if you need someone to watch Eri and Kota while you and Mina save lives, I would be happy to. I can be right over. Call me as soon as possible. Bye honey!"

There were ten more, but Izuku would listen to them later. He imagined at least a few were from Iida, meant to both chastise the two heroes for not being further along, as well as congratulate them in their new journey of adoption. He was one of Izuku's best friends. He just had a habit of being a bit of a dad, as Mina would put it. Seeing as he had no children currently, this elicited a small chuckle from Izuku as he grabbed a ramune from the fridge. They were next to a bottle of Midori. It was a gift from his mom, based on the nickname Mina had called him since they first started dating. He was saving it for her birthday, after everything else he had planned at least. He thought back to his birthday celebration. He had refused to drink until Mina's birthday, so that they could both imbibe legally. He didn't have a lot of interest in drinking anyway, but he would give it a try, especially when he could share it with her.

Izuku looked at his cell-phone and scrolled through the numbers. He still felt guilty asking his mom again, even though she said she didn't mind. Still, he couldn't think of anyone else who wouldn't be busy. Maybe, Gran Torino? He didn't want to bank on that tough, so he would pay a visit later with Mina.

He started making breakfast for Kota and Eri and called his mom.

"Hi, mom? Sorry to trouble you. I sent Mina on ahead of me while I keep an eye on Kota and Eri. Would you mind watching them again while I'm out working. "

"Hey, hon. Sure. Just give me a minute. I'll drive right over."

"Are you sure? I can take them to you."

"No, I insist. It helps me to keep active. I'll be over around 9."

"Thank you, mom. You're the best."

"I'm your mom, babe. It's what I do." She said warmly.

Both Midoriyas hung up before they started crying into the phone.

Eri walked in and sat at the little breakfast nook they had, just when her toast popped up.

The door to her room with Kota opened and the young water-quirk user shuffled out, rubbing his eyes.

The two children didn't say a word to each other as their awkward dad set the table and served them both toast, natto, and miso soup. He managed to do pretty well, despite cooking not being his field of expertise. He had helped his mom a little bit here and there, but that's where his expertise ended.

"Here you go, guys. Enjoy." Said with an odd nervous warmth. He was out of his field, but he was doing his best for these. Part of him wanted to exclaim "Eat this." To them, but neither child would get it. He felt a lump in his throat remembering the man who would have understood. He managed to swallow it and sit down, eating with his children while drinking his ramune.

Izuku was concerned about the awkward silence between his children, but he desiced hw would wait to address it fully until Mina got home. Kota ate fairly quickly. The truth is, he loved and respected Izuku, and came to feel the same way about Mina. He also didn't really hate Eri. He wasn't ready to deal with the emotions he was feeling though, so he would be harboring the room to himself for now.

"Kota, do you have something to say to Eri?" Izuku said calmly, trying to mediate the best he could. Kota looked like he was about to, but instead, he just said one sentence.

"Thanks for breakfast, Izuku."

He cleaned up his place setting and ate the rest of his breakfast alone in his room, once again locking Eri and the world out.

"Thanks, Zuku! That was yummy." Eri smiled. This girl had been so unable to smile because of the life she had lived prior. Seeing it now was a gift, an affirmation of everything Izuku and his friends stood for as heroes. Izuku sighed and stated cleaning up as Eri went to go color in front of the TV. Suddenly, there was a knock.

"Mom is here a bit sooner than I expected." Izuku thought to himself. He finished tidying up.

"Be right there." He announced loudly. The response he received took him and Eri by surprise.

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR, DEKU, AND GRAB YOUR SHIT!"


	6. Knock Knock It's Bakugou

Izuku had a tumultuous history with Katsuki Bakugou. They were childhood friends, but Katsuki's pride upon developing such a powerful quirk led that relationship in a more toxic direction, constantly treating Izuku like a doormat when it was discovered he was born quirkless. Izuku went with it, because he believed Bakugou to a certain extent, even if he still dreamed of being a hero one day. Izuku had more respect for Bakugou than Bakugou had for him, even if he should have cut ties years ago. Looking at his childhood friend now, he had grown more confident, at least since starting out. He certainly had more progress ahead of him, sitting at #20 in the hero rankings. He was still friends with Bakugou, but it was more of a rivalry now. Izuku recognized that Bakugou's treatment of him growing up was awful, especially as he grew to realize he had people who loved him and would fight for him. He had decided not to cut Bakugou out entirely. The two young men pushed each other to be stronger and there was a mutual respect there, even if Bakugou was too cocky to admit it.

"What do you want, Kacchan? I am a bit busy. My mom should be here to babysit the kids soon and…"

"DO I LOOK LIKE I GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR FAMILY BULLSHIT, DEKU? I'M SHOCKED I DIDN'T JUST BLOW THE DOOR OPEN AND DRAG YOU BY YOUR STUPID GODDAMN HAIR!"

"Kacchan, please. Just quiet down, you're scaring Eri."

"LOOK AT ALL THE FUCKS I GIVE ABOUT YOUR DUMB CRYBABY BRAT, DEKU!"

Bakugou had known Izuku for years, even into his further growth as a hero and as a person, but he was still taken aback a little by what came back.

"THAT IS ENOUGH, KATSUKI! I WILL NOT HAVE YOU CURSE IN FRONT OF MY FAMILY AND THREATEN OUR HOME! KNOCK IT OFF WITH YOUR POOR ATTITUDE BEFORE I MAKE YOU! P-please…"

Everyone was surprised. Kota, who had snuck out of his room to observe the commotion, was stunned, as was Eri, who grabbed onto her Father's leg and almost loosened her grip. Inko, who had just pulled up and exited her car was shocked, though she had certainly seen what her son's resolve could look like when it reared its head. Izuku himself was shaken. Bakugou glared his eyes, like he was about to punch that damn nerd in the mouth for stepping out of line. Instead, he gave a menacing grin, the kind he got when things were getting interesting.

"I knew you had some balls somewhere, Deku. Your mom's there, so your brats are taken care of. Call Raccoon eyes and tell her to get her Pink ass over to Hosu. We got some shit to clean up there."

He punched Izuku in the gut, hunching the One-For-All user over in pain.

"Pay me back for that later, Dicku! We got some losers to kill! NOW SETTLE YOUR SHIT AND KEEP UP!"

With that, Bakugou leapt into the air and headed towards his destination. He continued smiling to himself. Izuku had come a long way. Bakugou felt he should have been more annoyed by Izuku getting in his way, or his outburst. However, he felt a bit of pride for his childhood friend, though he would rather lick a Nomu's asshole than admit such sentimental garbage about his rival. He would crush that damn nerd, with his power, his legacy, and his new but loving family.

"Fucking Deku! You better get to Number two so I can dash your fucking dreams and send you back to the trash. Idiot!"

"Izuku, are you ok, sweetie? Was that Katsuki?"

"Y-yeah mom. He needs my help. Thanks for watching the kids."

"No problem, sweetie. I just hope you're alright." Inko assured her son.

"Also, if you could help with Mina and me getting the kids into school, that would help. Gran Torino called, so he might be able to help too." Izuku took his mom's hand in gratitude for her offer over the phone. He and Mina needed to get on that.

His mother gave a smile. "Leave it to me, sweetie. I'll take care of it for now. I can show you what to do next time I see you so that you and Mina know what to do form now on."

Once Inko was in the apartment, Izuku called Mina.

"Hey, babe. What's up. You got a babysitter?"

"Y-yeah. My mom came by. She'll help us with getting the kids into school. We also got some messages for Gran Torino and some others. We should listen to them all later."

"Cool. On your way?"

"A-almost. Mina, Bakugou dropped by. "

"What? Why? He didn't…"

"No, the door is still in one piece. My mom is taking care of the kids now. He said he needs us both. We'll be in Hosu. I can break off and meet you halfway though."

Mina couldn't help but be concerned. She had hung around Bakugou in her first year in Yuuei. He was strong and confident, but scary both in attitude and power. As time went on, she saw him more as a jerk and a bully. She really couldn't stand how he had treated poor Izuku and how that treatment had affected him. In the past 4.5 years though, things have cooled between them, especially as Izuku started to grow in confidence. He was still the soft, awkward boy who would stand up strong when he needed to, the same one she fell for. But now, he had been through so much more and come out stronger for it.

"It's ok, babe. I will meet you in Hosu. See you soon." Mina said with a smile in her voice, though her concern was palpable.

She wasn't exactly clamoring to work with Bakugou, who now went by the hero name "Napalm King". It was better than "Lord Explosion Murder" but not by much. She finished up what she was doing apprehending some petty crooks by widening a pothole and trapping them in it for the police. She would have stayed to help, but her quirk wouldn't be of much use there. Besides, Izuku needed her. She hopped the nearest train to Hosu and listened to music on her phone. "Dreaming" by Blondie came on. It was a very significant song for her and Izuku. She thought back to when he made the list for her, when he played it on their first anniversary, and when they took that step forward in their relationship for the first time. It left her feeling nostalgic. However, Bakugou had stopped by, this would likely be a serious threat. She scrolled through her music library and pressed shuffle. She needed something to get her pumped for the action ahead. "Lone Digger" by Caravan Palace played. It probably wasn't perfect, but it was close enough. Besides, she liked this song. She tapped her toes as the train sped towards her partner in crime-fighting.

Izuku had thought about taking the train, but decided to use One-For-All instead. It would probably take a bit longer, but not that much, especially as he had made significant progress while starting out. His mind was wandering between Mina and Bakugou. He honestly couldn't wait to see his girlfriend again. Well, Fiancée in about a week. They may have lived together, but she was such an important part of his life that he always looked forward to seeing her. They had gotten into some arguments before, especially early on, but they always weathered the storm. He was ready to take that next leap with her now. His feet landed on a nearby building before he rocketed back into the air.

On the other hand, he was concerned about what would bring his child-hood friend/ bully/ rival to his doorstep (after leaving an angry voicemail). "Kacchan wouldn't just show up on a social call. This must be something big." Izuku paused for a minute or two and texted Bakugou, letting him know he was meeting Mina at the station, then they would meet him after that. He was about to head skyward again, but he received a text back.

"Whatever. Just pick her up and meet me at the hospital. It's the only freaking landmark here."

Izuku responded with "ok" and pocketed his phone, rocketing back into the air and headed for the train station. He arrived shortly, then waited for Mina. Once she got off, she pocketed her phone and headphones, then did a pirouette for her boyfriend. And gave him a kiss.

"Hey you." She smiled and gave him a kiss.

"Hey you." She smiled. It's a good thing Bakugou didn't meet them here. He would have told them to get a room in as vulgar a way as possible.

Izuku smiled and hugged the pink woman. "H-hey yourself."

"Alright. Here we are, Izu. Where's hothead?" she asked shrugging.

"The hospital. There aren't many landmarks here, so that's where we're headed." Izuku looked towards the direction they would head. He nodded at her, receiving a nod in return. With that, they headed towards Bakugou.

When they got there, he was on the roof, leaning against the entrance to the roof and using his quirk to light a cigarette.

"Ok, Bakugou. Why are we here? Mina asked before Izuku had a chance to essentially ask the same question.

"W-what she said." Izuku stuttered.

"Icy hot and jet legs are on their way too. This concerns them too."

Izuku was surprised. He knew Bakugou had changed at least a little, but being a team player wasn't his style. Plus, this was the first mention he made of them today. Izuku had started to mutter, but caught himself. He knew Mina and Bakugou would stare. Besides, he figured out what they might be needed for. He froze as his eyes went wide.

"Stain's out?" Izuku asked in exasperation.

Mina had never dealt with him before but she looked shocked as well.

Bakugou scoffed slightly at Izuku's correct answer "And the fucker's looking for you."


	7. Blood in the Streets

Izuku couldn't tell for certain what the Hero Killer wanted with him, though he could hazard several good guesses. Most likely, it had something to do with the young hero being All Might's successor. Or perhaps he wanted to make an example of this current generation and get his point across, his own twisted way of bringing about a new Golden Age of heroics. He only had one question though.

"How did he get out of Tartarus? There is no way in hell he should have been able to do so." He pondered out loud.

Iida stepped in taking charge from Bakugou temporarily. "Authorities are investigating it. The guards are currently being questioned. It is believed there was at least one accomplice who freed Stain, but we don't know much more than that currently."

"Thanks, four eyes. Saved me the breath." Bakugou stated blankly.

Bakugou took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke through his nose. He had taken to smoking outside of classes in their second year. Bakugou had come back from a trip recently, like the one Izuku took prior. It's where he developed a taste for Lucky Strike. He had a girl to thank for that.

"Did you get those from Becky?" Izuku asked. He remembered her smoking that brand when he first met her in London. He had a feeling Bakugou had a run in with his English acquaintance as well

"HI BECKY!"Mina called out, as if the phone would respond.

"Who's Becky?" Todoroki raised an eyebrow. This was an interesting bit of info.

"Nobody's fucking business. Can we fucking focus on stain? This isn't fucking High School anymore."

Given the explosive hero's reaction, Mina started to get some ideas. She smirked to herself. She might just have some questions about this mystery lady of Bakugou's.

"Agreed, Bakugou, san. We have pressing matters…. I know the last time I faced Stain. I let my emotions and thoughts of vengeance cloud my judgement. Others could have suffered for that. I will make no such mistake this time." Ida had spoken up. He had steeled himself for what was to come. However, Izuku shook his head.

"I understand what you guys must be thinking, but he is apparently looking for me and me alone. It might be best if you stand by. Worse comes to worse,

Everyone looked concerned by Izuku's suggestion. It was reckless and they didn't want to see him hurt. Bakugou was the exception. He scoffed. "You're two for two, Deku. You just keep showing how ballsy you are."

"He may be a murderer, he may go too far, but he at least has goals in mind and some kind of code. Besides, he once said the only one who has a right to the mantle of a hero is Al Might. Right now, I'm closest to that. S-sorry if that comes off as rude."

Shouto shrugged. The hot-and-cold hero took no offence. "Understandable."

Iida, fully adorned in his Ingenium armor, raised his hand in agreement. "I agree, but I advise you move with caution. Regardless of how strong your quirk is, we should all know how dangerous Stain is."

Izuku nodded. "I doubt he'll be here in the daylight, but I'm going to go down now, just in case." Izuku prepared to leap down and investigate. He was stopped however.

"Hold up, Izu. Don't be reckless. I hear what you are saying, but going alone might not be a wise course of action. Even if you do give him the benefit of the doubt." Mina spoke convincingly. She knew he could handle himself, especially with 70% of One-For-All and the advantage of daylight on his side (It had nothing to do with Stain's quirk. It was just genre savviness not to confront a murderer in a darkened alleyway at night without backup. Mina knew how this stuff worked). Besides, Izuku was a strong, capable hero, but even after nearly 5 years, he could be reckless in his selflessness. He had certainly learned since then, but she didn't want to see him get hurt.

Izuku knew and held her hand. "I understand. Even with most of my power, Stain isn't an easy enemy. He wouldn't have been in Tartarus if he was. I should find out what he wants though. If anything happens, I know my partner will back me up." Izuku smiled that soft smile of his, the one that made Mina just want to scoop him up and skate away with him in her arms.

She sighed and relented before punching him in the arm. "I trust your judgement, Izu. Just remember, we're here if you need us." She smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

Izuku kissed her softly and headed for the alleyway where he had first encountered stain years prior, standing over Iida's helpless body, ready to deliver the killing blow. It seemed like the appropriate meeting place to Izuku, and he wasn't alone. Stain stepped out of the shadows, knife in hand. Nearby, further shrouded underneath a stack of refuse, another figure watched, patiently and curiously.

"I-I heard you wanted to talk to me alone. I told my friends to give us privacy." Izuku peered into the shadows cast by the buildings. It was daytime, and yet if there was one man who could find a way to bleed into shadow, even in the light of day, Stain could find a way.

"You're the boy from four and a half years ago. The boy who showed promise as a true hero. You're All Might's replacement now?" Stain croaked.

Izuku had come a long way in 4 and a half years. He had faced countless threats, learned so much, spent a summer traveling the globe to learn from the world's best heroes, all with the goal of becoming the symbol of peace, not just for Japan, but for the entire world. He wanted to be the best he could for those who were powerless, like he had been. For those he loved, even those he didn't even know. He would do it for them, for All Might, for himself, and now, for Eri and Kota. He would strive towards peace and work towards a word all could be proud of.

And yet, Stain still sent shivers down his spine. This was a man who envisioned a similar world, a new glorious dawn of heroics, but he had steeped himself in blood and darkness to do so, murdering those he saw as guilty of perverting what heroics really meant. Between his conviction, his quirk, and the way he carried himself with a sort of savage charisma, Izuku couldn't help but shake and stutter. However, he wasn't going to back down. Not now.

"Yes. I am the hero known as Deku." Izuku stated shakily, trying to compose himself. As scary as Stain was, Izuku had fought him before alongside Iida and Shouto. Izuku had grown a lot since then and could probably subdue the villain on his own. Izuku also caught himself muttering if anti-hero fit better as a term but rebuked himself.

Stain was puzzled by this. The boy showed promise, the self-sacrificing nature that he believed a real hero should have. And yet he carried a name that meant "worthless.". The hero killer payed this no mind. It was trivial. What mattered now was the work. Blood was to be shed tonight. There was work to be done for that future he dreamed of. The age of fake heroes would crumble. Since that initial encounter with the young Deku, the seed of Endeavor, and Ingenium's brother, Stain had learned from Prison that he had inspired copy cats, some who emulated his methods but embodied a villainy he despised just as much as self-interested "heroes" and those who genuinely held his same vision steadfastly.

"W-what is it you want, Stain?" Izuku steadied himself and got right to the point.

"There was only one I truly counted as worthy of being a hero. When everyone was so obsessed with wealth, status and power, he was the only beacon. The only genuine hero. The only one I would allow to end my life" the masked man croaked, knife in hand as he skulked towards Izuku.

"All Might." Izuku looked down. His mentor, his idol, his dear friend. The man was lie a father-figure to Izuku. He still missed him and wanted to keep his spirit alive, though he knew he had to be his own man. His own hero. Tears started welling up, but Izuku held them back. Now was not the time. He looked up. "S-so you wish to continue onward, killing everyone else since All Might is gone? You wish to murder for your ideal world" Izuku's voice was stern. It was a side the awkward young man didn't show often, but you knew he was serious when he did. Mina looked on. She couldn't hear what was going on, but she knew things were going to be intense.

"You misunderstand me, boy. I still see the corruption there. It is still like a cancer in this society, but I am seeing hope now. I have found a successor. One who is worthy. One who sees the world as I do."

"Dabi… We've met" Izuku knew who it was instantly.

"What's more, "Deku", I have seen true heroes arise. Ones who put others before themselves. The world I hated is dying in its own filth and the one I desired is being born." To Izuku's shock (and to the surprise of his friends watching nearby with binoculars), Stain knelt to the ground.

"I believe I have found that in you. You are the heir apparent to All Might. The job remains, but my work is done."

Izuku wasn't sure if he should feel honored or weirded out by a known murderer giving Izuku his blessing. He decided on a mix. It was disconcerting to see this mass murderer bowing to Izuku like he was some sort of boy king. And yet here he was, offering his life for his cause to one he deemed worthy of doing so.

"I…I won't kill you. I can't. Even if you have done vile things and taken innocent lives, just because you saw them as unfit" Izuku thought of Iida's brother, of people who weren't as lucky to escape with their lives. He thought of Mina and the kids. He thought of his friends. He shook his head. This was not the path to take.

"They were far from innocent. I would never have killed them if they were. I am not a good man, but I do what is necessary." Stain rose, feeling slight disappointment that this young man would defend those he deemed unworthy. Disappointment that this young man would not step up and kill a villain who stood in his way.

"That's not our place to judge who lives and dies. We are not gods, Stain. We are servants. We save people because it's right. We apprehend villains because it is just. And if there is a problem, we fix it. We are servants of the greater good. If we must change the current system of heroics to better reflect that, I will. We will. "Izuku was shaken by how vocal he was being. How steadfast he was, and most of all, how he smiled the entire time. "I have a duty" Izuku just felt it flow. He stopped himself before he rambled too much. Izuku stakes his life on the noble causes of his friends and that, while they can do better, heroes are there to help people. It's what he believes and what he stands by. He would fight Stain if he must but he wouldn't be the symbol of peace if he solved everything with violence. He offered a hand to stain, nervously but steadfast.

Here he and stain stood, two individuals of conviction, with a similar vision of a brighter day but vastly different ideas and methods on getting there.

Finally, Stain moved quickly, knife drawn. Izuku stood at the ready, not noticing the quirk user behind him until he felt the heat of nearby flames. Izuku had been careless in letting his guard down and dodged, but he ended up in Stain's grasp. A cut and a lick and the One-For-All user was down. After that, Stain leapt at Dabi and sliced the young man's cheek. Neither Izuku or Dabi could react at the swiftness of the Hero killer's actions. He certainly wasn't expecting the man whose vision he shared to come at him, let alone use his quirk. Stain flicked his tongue hungrily across the blade, lapping it up and incapacitating his would-be successor.

"Dabi. I have kept an eye on you, as much as I could. My work is done. Yours is not. Watch these heroes. Keep them honest. Keep them afraid. Do not let them drift into corruption. Our dream is at hand. DO NOT LET IT SLIP!" He removed his bandana and grasped it in his hand as he delivered his short rally cry.

"And you, hero. You may have proven yourself, but do not grow complacent. You are naïve to think that peace can be achieved without blood being spilled."

With that, Stain turned his knife on himself, slitting his own throat and dropping his knife and Bandana to the ground as he fell. He bled out quickly and soon died, his crazed eyes burning a hole into the wall upon which they fell in death.

Izuku was shocked, eyes wide open as he saw Chizome Akaguro take his own life. It was certainly an image that would stay with the young hero for some time.

Bakugou stays behind as Mina, Iida, and Shouto head to his aid. The explosive hero scoffs.

"Stupid reckless nerd. What kind of hero lets his guard down like that. Fucking idiot." He lights another cigarette and holds it in his mouth, taking a drag before trying that trick he learned that Summer. He made a gun with his pointer finger and thumb and aimed it towards the fallen Dabi, sparks forming at the fingertip. It wasn't his best move but he used it for smaller scale things that required minimal damage. He was working on that at least. He was so tempted to end this hero killer bullshit. He certainly didn't have any love for Frankenstein face or the fucking hero killer, but shitty ass Deku was right. This isn't the way they do things. Bakugou cursed and lowered his hand

"God dammit." Bakugou seethed. He took another puff, threw his Lucky Strike to the ground, and stomped it out before joining the nerd brigade and Racoon eyes. "he tore out his phone as he descended the building.

"Hosu Police, this is the explosive hero, Napalm King. We have a suspect in custody and one who just fucking killed himself. Get down here pronto."

Mina was the first one to Izuku's side, though Stain's death lifted his quirk's influence. Iida and Shouto moved in quick to apprehend Dabi before he had the chance to recover. He had said nothing, staring only at Stain's dead body and the inheritance he left to his successor.

Mina helped her boyfriend up, concerned for him but glad no serious harm ad come to him. Well, nothing physical. She gazed into his beautiful green eyes, and saw he was shaken. He had seen a man die right in front of him, murderer or not.

"You ok, Izu.?" She asked. She knew what was likely on his mind. He knew how dangerous these things were, but he didn't take death lightly.

He shook himself out of it. "Y-yeah. Let's make sure the police get here, then we should go. "

Bakugou broke up the moment.

"Police our on their way, assholes. You can go catch purse snatchers or fuck in the shower or whatever you do. I'll let you losers know if I need you again." he spoke calmly but still with that patented Katsuki Bakugou "charm".

"Hey…. Kacchan. Thanks for the heads up." Izuku spoke, still a bit shaky from not only getting the approval of the Hero Killer, but watching him die and crown a successor. It was a jarring morning so far.

"Whatever Deku. Just don't start inciting me to your tea parties or whatever the fuck you shits do."

"We'll leave that to this mysterious Becky." Mina winked at the notorious hothead.

She could see the veins in his head start to pop, but he didn't even turn. He just stopped, shouted "Fuck off." and jetted away. In the distance, they heard him scream "FUCK, MY SMOKES!"

As jostled as Izuku was, Mina provided him comfort. And the chain reaction she got out of Bakugou sent him barreling into laughter. Composure regained, the two heroes spoke to the police when they arrived. Dabi was taken into custody and Stain's body was taken away. Izuku explained the situation. Iida and Shouto were speaking to the officers as well, offering any further insight they could, as limited as it might be.

"I don't know how he got out of Tartarus, but he came looking for me. He said his role was over but that there was still work to be done. Then he crowned his replacement right over there. To make us toe the line, I guess. At least that's how he saw it…" Izuku spoke gravely, yet still smiled. I was difficult to smile sometimes, but often it was all you had to get through life. And it could go a long way.

"Thank you, Deku. Alien Queen. You seem to be away from your normal area but we appreciate you guys coming out here to help, even if the hero killer, um…" The cop speaking to them was a rookie, not much older than Izuku and Mina. She had short blue hair and bluish-green eyes. The chief came in at that moment, his dog like head now sporting grayer whiskers than it did last time Izuku and he met.

"What officer Hitachi here means, young Deku, is that, even if he committed suicide, any help is appreciated. You and your friends have certainly grown into capable heroes and I am happy to see you make it this far. Woof." He stated as he put a hand on each hero's shoulder in gratitude. Things had come a long way since Izuku, Iida, and Shouto apprehended Stain and had to give the credit to Endeavor for acting outside of the law, to avoid more serious punishment.

No further insight was given into how the Hero Killer escaped so easily and if it served any greater purpose beyond what he had stated. Izuku and Mina thanked the police, Iida, and Shouto, and left the scene.

"Hey Izuku?" Mina asked, skating along on a trail of weak acid as Izuku leapt alongside her.

"Yeah, Mina?"

"Want to stop for some lunch quick?" she smiled.

"Y-yeah. That would hit the spot right now." Izuku smiled back. He was famished and the day was still ahead of them.

"Yuss! There's a café near here. We should stop there." She jumped in the air with her fist pumped before landing back on the ground with a pirouette before continuing to skate along.

Izuku chuckled and sighed. She could be such a show-off sometimes/ He couldn't wait for her birthday.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, they were being followed.


	8. Getting the Band Back Together

Izuku and Mina stopped for lunch at a café several blocks away. They decided to eat outside at a table on the sidewalk. Izuku had Sukiyaki while Mina had Natto. It was a lovely day, all things considered. Except for the Stain business beforehand.

"Kirishima called earlier." Izuku spoke as he enjoyed his meal, trying not to laugh as Mina dug hungrily into hers.

"Did he? How is my horn buddy? Will he be here for my birthday? I know he has been a bit busy with his solo career."

"He'll definitely be there. Ochacko-chan will be there too."

"Really? She's coming back from America to see us? That's awesome! Guess she isn't wrapped up in space stuff currently." Mina took another bite. She was happy their old friend would be back. Things might have been awkward at one point, but she did legitimately miss Ochako. "My birthday is going to rock!" Izuku laughed softly, dimples forming in his cheeks. She had no idea how right she was.

Afterwards, they jumped back into things. After rescuing people from a capsizing ferry and a burning building, the two heroes started to walk down the street. However, the were stopped by the sound of a nearby explosion. Mina and Izuku checked their police scanners immediately and found out what their next stop was: First Tokyo Bank. It was being robbed by a gang, one with which Mina and Izuku had a bit of history. They called themselves NEXT. The NEXT gang wasn't a major threat on the level of the League of Villains as it stood now, but they were still worth approaching with caution. They were a far cry from the punk kids Izuku lost to at the Arcade, or that Mina served in a dance-off at the beach. Their membership had grown significantly. The League of Villains had even apparently scouted them for talent, though it didn't exactly go well most of the time.

"Well hello there. It's Acid bitch and her little green bean. Did you come for me to dance all over you again?" their leader Asuka grinned with satisfaction that she would get to fight her favorite rivals. Not that she would say something like that to their faces, but she did have a bit of history with the two, and getting to lay the smack down in a way that wasn't petty or childish would be delicious to the woman, her shaved head now sporting a hot pink buzzcut. "I brought some friends. Hope you don't mind." She gestured to about forty goons, of varying shapes, sizes, and genders, each with fairly potent quirks. They lacked the training that many of the heroes had, but they had potential and numbers. That last one was especially key if they wanted to succeed, either by overwhelming their foes or serving as cannon fodder to distract heroes from what their comrades were up to.

"Your corny dialogue and bad hair? Yes. I do mind, actually. I'm almost insulted, Ass sucka." Mina teased, exchanging smiles with the gang leader and using her entire body as a sass conduit.

"Cute." Asuka scoffed.

"Why thank you." Mina winked.

"I was referring to your man, Troll Doll, but I'm glad you're flattered too, I guess." Asuka chuckled, diverting her attention to Izuku and winking before turning back to Mina. This made Izuku uncomfortable and Mina rather peeved.

"Empress, can we get on with this please? I don't want to be out of line…" her second in command spoke up.

"That never stops you, Shinsuke." Asuka gave a perturbed frown at her purple-haired lieutenant.

He sighed. "I know we've met them, but giving out our real na…. forget it. We should just kick their asses already. Shinsuke regained his composure and cracked his knuckles, readying a battle stance.

"Best idea you've had all day, King." Asuka smiled, nodding her agreement. "What do you think, Kaiser?" she turned to her left to speak to the young woman on her left, who merely nodded as she tipped her hat, all three of her eyes glowing.

Today had certainly been a trip down memory lane for the two. Bakugou, Iida, Todoroki, Stain, Dabi, and now Asuka and her goons. Izuku and Mina prepared themselves to take on the gang, numbering about forty now. However, they weren't done with the reunions for the day, as a familiar voice broke through the crowd. Mina and Izuku looked up, smiles creeping across both their faces. They both called out in unison. "Red Riot!"

"You guys look like you have a crowd going on here. How about we get the band back together and give these jerks a show?" Kirishima had jumped from a building and done a flip, landing in a superhero pose, activating his quirk on impact. He knocked a few of the NEXT goons off their feet. Mina and Izuku were taken by surprise, a wave of nostalgia and relief washing over them. They would have to reminisce later though. Izuku, Mina, and Kirishima were outnumbered. They exchanged looks and then focused on the task at hand.

"Looks like you brought a friend, hero dorks. And a hot one too. You're still a little short if you want to match us. What do you say, friends? What should we do to these fools?" Asuka folded her arms and turned up her nose before eyeing the three heroes and licking her lips, hungry to take them down and get away.

"Let them go. Then surrender." An exhausted, deadpan voice shouted. Hitoshi Shinsou, known now by the hero name Pursuader (It was a portmanteau of purple and persuader. A work in progress.), walked calmly towards the crowd, like a gunslinger at high noon. He could certainly move. He had the training when he finally transferred to the hero course. However, he wasn't the flashy type, despite his dapper costume, consisting of a purple suit, a domino mask, and a matching bowler hat. Growing up, he dealt with people saying he would be a villain with his quirk. Twirling a cane in his hand, he could see that on the surface, they had more ammo. However, just because he looked strung out and good brainwash people, didn't mean he couldn't show some finesse. He could hold his own in a fight, but his quirk would work just fine. Besides, he had backup.

"Who the fuck are you, eyebags? And what can you do to stop us?" One of the gangsters spat. Shinsou smirked as the loudmouth punk froze up and his eyes went glassy.

"You heard me, jackass. Lay on the ground." The NEXT member complied and laid down on the asphalt, allowing Shinsou to walk over to him and cuff him. "Thank you. Any other takers?"

"What the fuck? Get this dude!" several of the members bum rushed Shinsou, much to Asuka's annoyance. However, if she said anything, she risked falling prone herself.

"Excellent. Freeze." Shinsou stated calmly with a smirk, with all those members meeting the same fate as their comrade. Shinsou's nose started to bleed. "Yeah, maybe I should cool it. Still not used to using my quirk on a bunch of people all at once"

Asuka pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, then looked for some litter near her feet. She smiled as she found a discarded soda can and a straw, transmuting them into a pen and paper. She wrote a message and turned it into a paper crane, offering it to the new arrival.

Shinsou unfolded it and read the message on the paper.

"Impressive. What do I call you? Purple Prick? Mindfucker? Or perhaps nothing, because that's what you'll be in a moment. You and your friends.

P.S. Behind you."

Shinsou looked behind him, only to get punched square in the jaw by Shinsuke, known by the name Strong King. The persuasive hero skidded across the street, bore blood painting his face.

Mina, Izuku, and Kirishima panicked, wanting to get to their friend, but they looked at each other and nodded.

"Swing your partner?" Kirishima smiled, planting his feet into the ground.

Swing your partner." Izuku agreed and did the same, leaving footprints in the pavement as he did so.

"Just go easy boys. I might need my shoulders later today." Mina joked. She did know how strong the two could be though, with one possessing the ability to become as hard as a boulder and the other being able to toss one like a softball. Still, she trusted them both, especially Izuku.

The pink woman stood between her muscular teammates as they each took a hand and swung her into the gang, now down to 30 members standing. She landed on three and did a spin-kick, taking out five more. She splashed liquid into the eyes of several gang members, adjusting the pH to harmless levels as to not permanently blind anyone. She looked over to Izuku and Kiroshima. "Your turn, guys." She smiled.

Both men nodded. Izuku lifted Kirishima over his head and threw him like a missile, sparks flying off his body as he did so. Even when Kirishima used his quirk, he still got whiplash a little.

"Jeez, Midoriya bro. I thought you had an arm on you before." The redhead shook it off as he stood up from plowing into a crowd of gang members. A particularly tall one with a size-changing quirk launched a kick in his direction with an enlarged foot. However, Kirishima ate the hit and flipped the man onto his back, cuffing him and throwing him towards the loudmouth Shinsou took out.

"I-I tried going easy on you." Izuku said sheepishly, turning just in time to catch the fist of Asuka's right-hand man.

"Nice catch, Green bean. Let's see if you can keep it up." He smiled viciously as he lobbed strike after strike at the green-haired boy.

Izuku held back, like he had in the past. Not for fear of damaging his own body, so much (though that would still happen if he went at 100% just yet) bit for fear of hurting others. Shinsuke could sense this. He had a sense for these things.

"Holding back, Small Might? Come on, Green Bean. Give me all you've got. I'm a big boy." Shinsuke took several of Izuku's strikes, returning some of his own before leaping out of the way of one, tumbling under another, and delivering a vicious kick. Izuku's head jerked back, but he recovered quickly, wiping blood from his mouth as he delivered a 30% Delaware Smash to the villain's gut, then a vicious Detroit Smash to the jaw. Shinsuke fell to the ground but rocketed back up. Izuku followed up with a 50% Texas Smash, winding the man known as Strong King, but not knocking him out.

"Punch me harder, asshole." Shinsuke panted. He launched a strike at Izuku, sending the hero backwards several feet, even as he blocked.

"Sorry. I'm more of a leg guy these days. TUSCALOOSA SHOOT!" Izuku rushed forward and punted Shinsuke into the air, then, with movements so fast, it was almost like a Dragon ball fight, Izuku leapt into the air and delivered a sharp downward kick, driving his opponent into the ground and knocking the wind form him. Izuku also could have sworn he had heard Mina shout "Yeah you are" when Izuku mentioned being a leg guy, and Kirishima shouting "TMI, AQ.". He both missed this team and was glad it had disbanded before now. Flustered, Izuku took out some cuffs and some rope and neutralized Strong King.

"Hey, does this seem too easy to anyone else?" Kirishima asked as he helped Shinsou up. "I mean, aren't these guys scouted by the lea" Kirishima was knocked on his ass as a three-eyed girl walked toward him, her uniform customized with a pirate motif. "I have to say, two on one? Not exactly fair." She said taking off her elaborate hat and tossing it to her leader, who turned it into a brooch and pinned it on her jacket.

"Kick their asses, Kaiser." The Empress grinned. "The rest of you sorry little worms, lick your wounds. Seto, Dean, Rohan! You know what to do."

Three scruffy looking men walked towards the center and thrust an arm each towards each other, using their quirks in unison to transport themselves, their fallen comrades, and any loot gathered back to base. The three key members of the group stayed behind to deal with the heroes. Strong King went for Izuku, their fists crashing into each other. Mina took on Tomorrow Empress, Shinsou was confronted by Kaiser Sane, and Kirishima provided back-up for Shinsou.

While all this was going on Izuku and Mina's stalker remained hidden, watching the fight patiently, even rustling through a bag to grab some snacks and watch everything unfold. This was going to be good.

Mina and Asuka traded blows, with Mina coating her hands with acid and Asuka catching her fists and using her quirk to neutralize the acid. Their comrades weren't sure if it was intentional or not, but the movements of both women started to devolve into dancing. A savage high kick here, a hand hop to get off the floor there, baby spins and pirouettes all over the place. Both Mina and Asuka were very advanced in their choreography and had apparently been practicing on implementing that into their fighting. Asuka took off some of her pins, turned them into knives, and tossed them at Mina, who put up a veil of acid to melt them.

"Shit, one of those was Kairi's hat." Asuka cursed at the realization of her lapse in judgement.

"You did WHA?" the telepath shouted at her boss' exclamation. She was distracted slightly, leaving her vulnerable to a twin attack from Shinsou and his cane and Kirishima's rocky fist. However, she recovered, wiping the blood from her mouth and slamming the two heroes against each other. She was ready to slam them down again, but Izuku rushed in and picked her up, aiming to hang her up on a flag pole. However, her eyes glowed as she gave Izuku a migraine and broke free, floating back down to the ground as Izuku toppled.

Izuku rubbed his temples and regained his composure, tapping his communicator to call the police. They might have lost most of the gang, but one of their high-ranking officers wasn't bad. And if they could apprehend the rest of the big three, that was even better. Kairi walked towards Izuku and lifted him up in the air, rag dolling him a little before Kirishima and Shinsou came up behind her and grabbed an arm each.

"We can't let you do that, Triclops." Shinsou smirked. Close enough to an old meme, he supposed. Kaminari would approve if he weren't on patrol with Jirou.

"Got them, Pursuader?" Kirishima grinned as he looked to his partner.

Shinsou used his one hand to fish through his belt for a pair of cuffs. "Meet me in the middle, Riot." He deadpanned as the two moved her arms towards each other and prepared to cuff her. However, her initial shock of being ambushed wore off.

"Rough seas, for you, boys." She sighed, tossing them away from her as she still toyed with Izuku. Her nose started to bleed as Izuku struggled. The green-clad hero smiled as he muttered off calculations.

"What are you babbling about?" Kairi asked in confusion and disdain. Her grip loosened enough for Izuku to shake her off.

"Three's the limit! Now!" he shouted as he rammed into the ground, causing a shockwave that knocked her off balance. Shinsou crept up behind him, suit scuffed up from his battles so far, and put her in an arm bar, producing another pair of cuffs and capturing the villainess. He tossed her to Kirishima, who tied her up next to Strong King.

Asuka was distraught and disgruntled by the defeat of her friends, but she remained steadfast. "Impressive, Pinky. Your little Rainbow crew took out a good chunk of my friends. The ones I brought anyway. I'm a smart girl though." Asuka grinned, hiding her contempt rather poorly. "I know when to call it a day. Kairi! Shinsuke! 811530!" Her apprehended colleagues recognized what she said and smirked to themselves. Asuka used her quirk to turn the ground into quicksand around the heroes, trapping their feet so they couldn't move. She then slipped underground and made her escape. Izuku shook this off quickly, using his full cowl technique to reach his current maximum limit of 70%. He rocketed into the air and landed back on the ground, pulling his friends out. Unfortunately, Asuka was now long gone.

The police arrived to apprehend Shinsuke and Kairi, but were on the lookout for their leader. Izuku, Mina, Shinsou, and Kirishima helped with damage control and relayed what they knew to the police.

"Sorry we couldn't get most of them. They utilized a portal system." Izuku apologized, his teammates standing achy, yet strong as he spoke to the police chief.

"It's quite alright, Deku. It seems the gang has become much stronger recently, even calling in some older members who have since moved onwards in their careers. Luckily, we have two of their strongest. Thank you all for the hard work. We will keep an eye out for Empress. Woof." The dog-headed policeman stated calmly. He turned to walk away, but spoke again. "I have to say. It is nice having the Color Guard back again. It was nice to see a hero team again, given how rare they had become. Glad they are making a resurgence. That's just my take."

With that, the four heroes stood in a circle and talked to each other. Shinsou and Kirishima were often busy with their own lives, but jumped at the chance to talk to their old school friends and teammates. They had formed the Color Guard as an alliance of friends, to watch each other's backs and help each other improve. They each had other friends and team-ups for that, but even if their tenure was relatively brief in comparison to, say, the Pussycats, the Color Guard had left its mark, as far as the young heroes were concerned.

"This was nice. We should do this more." Shinsou spoke genuinely in a way not indicated by his deadpan tone.

"I don't know. We all have solo careers now. Well, except for the dynamic duo here." Kirishima winked and nudged at Mina and Izuku. "For a while, I thought my hero career was over before it started, but I am glad I got to work with you guys as often as I have.

"Hey. We do solo work. We just happen to be an awesome pair." Mina shrugged in mock offense.

"Y-yeah. Plus, we live together, so we might as well cooperate." Izuku joked. Mina was still awed by how this strong young man with such a powerful quirk could be the softest of cinnamon buns. Kirishima and Shinsou questioned similarly.

"Anyway, don't be a stranger, guys. I'm going to head back to my jurisdiction and take care of things." Kirishima gave them a parting grin with his sharp teeth and headed off towards action.

"Yeah. I must get back to work too. It was nice having most of the Guard back together, even if we still need a new name. Let me know when the party is. See ya." Shinsou smirked and started walking down an alleyway nearby, disappearing into the shadows as if it was his quirk and not just a dramatic flourish he had been honing.

As the villains were escorted into a police van and carted off to jail, other officers moved out to comb the city for Asuka and wherever the rest of her Gang was hiding. Izuku and Mina looked at each other

"Shall we patrol a bit more before we head home?" Izuku asked his companion in curls.

"Why Mr. Midoriya, I would be delighted." She bowed before hopping in his arms, bridal style.

"That tired?" Izuku smiled at his girlfriend as he held her.

"Nah, I have plenty of stamina. I just wanted a ride." She winked.

"M-mina." Izuku turned beet-red. "not here."

"Yeah. The house would be better. Pretty sure your mom and the kids are still there. We could lock the door." She continued to tease.

"Mina!" He gasped louder, visibly flustered and trying to hide how much the idea did appeal to him, especially because they couldn't and wouldn't just kick Eri, Kota, and Ink out like that.

"That's right, say my name." She cooed.

"Ok. You can skate." Izuku sighed, deciding the only way out of this was to joke along back, though both Izuku and Mina knew she wasn't totally joking.

"Ok, ok. I'll stop. Spoilsport." Mina pouted in his arms as they took to the sky. If they weren't in the air right now, she would have whispered "later then." But it wasn't worth it right now.

Having packed up their things after the fight had ended, Mina and Izuku's pursuer continued to tail them. It was getting a bit dull, but it would pay off soon enough, once they returned home.

Elsewhere, Bakugou had taken out a giant robot that was rampaging in downtown Tokyo. This was the Kind of action he craved when he was first starting out, but he had become less volatile as the years passed. He was still volatile, mind you. Just less so. Having dismembered the enormous automaton with as little collateral damage as he could muster, he went to check on the bystanders to see if anyone was hurt. He heard footsteps behind him.

"If you're going to try something, either fucking do it already or wait over there for me to kill you." He growled."

"Easy there, boomer bloomers. No need to get yer knickers in a twist." An Irish woman with short, bouncy red hair put her hands up, a cigarette dangling from her lips. The blonde man's eyes widened, but he refused to turn around. His eyes returned to normal as he went back to surveying the area.

"The fuck are you doing here, Ronas?" Bakugou groaned, trying to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Don't go acting the maggot, Kats. Please. Call me Becky." The redhead smiled.


	9. Attack of the Filler Tomatoes

The woman who stood before Katsuki Bakugou had quite the interesting costume, though more reminiscent of a vigilante get-up than that of a professional hero, going off appearances alone. She wore large white and blue headphones, what appeared to be steampunk goggles, a leather jacket covered in patches and pins, black tights that had jagged yellow lines going down them, resembling soundwaves, and what resembled a tank-top. Pictured on the top was a bell with large feminine lips in the center, surrounded by vibration lines. It seemed tackier and more street-level than practical. However, all the specifications were made by some of the UK's top support staff. The specifications on the headphones were made using notes the punk girl painstakingly took. Unfortunately, her writing was incoherent chicken scratch, so she had to translate.

There were several things Bakugou could have said to the heroine known in her current home of London as Decibelle. Most of the things he wanted to say were either just straight up obscenities, questions on what she was doing here in the first place, and several impolite variations on the phrase "Go away." Deep down, there was a part of him that had more pleasant things to say. He felt a range of emotions that he had decided to bury in his trademark manner, even if he had become slightly more subdued since his teen years. However, the most prudent choice he decided on was to ask for help.

"Make yourself useful and check to see if there are any civilians in need. Now!"

This is not at all what Rebecca Lynch Ronas wanted to hear from the explosive hero, but it was about as much as she expected. Besides, he did have a point. There was work to be done and time to catch up later. She sighed and jumped into action, checking cars and rubble for any further people in need of rescuing. She used her quirk minimally to avoid harming anyone's hearing, relying on her training at the UK's top hero school.

Bakugou turned to glare at the young woman behind him. He hadn't seen her since last year He would have preferred to keep it that way. Once they met up again after clearing the scene, Bakugou fin

"The fuck are you doing here?" the blonde hero glowered "I'm not in the mood right now."

"Still your usual charming self I see." The redhead scoffed.

"Fuck off already…" He might not have been shouting, but Bakugou was crystal clear.

"Katsuki…" Becky now took a more sympathetic voice. In the past, she would have been far more willing to trade barbs with the blowhard bombardier, but things were different now. She didn't come for a fight.

"Save your flirty Irish bullshit for someone who gives a fuck, Ronas. What happened in the past happened. Now PISS OFF!" Bakugou was shaking. He was holding back. He wasn't even sure why. He wasn't used to the feelings she had elicited in him and everything that crawled out of that can of worms. All he knew was that his past with her belonged in the past and that is where he preferred to keep it, where neither he nor anyone else could see it or talk about it. Would it bubble up and lead to him becoming more explosive and vicious like he used to be, probably. He would sort it out later. For now, he had to get back to work. He could sort this mess out with Becky later.

"Nice to see you too." Becky sighed, looking down as she threw her cigarette to the ground, stomped it out, and walked away, back towards her hotel room. Bakugou sighed after he was far enough away. He tried lighting a cigarette but incinerated it instantly. "Bollocks!" he shouted. Becky had certainly left her influence on him, and right now, that was making things harder. The young man took off like a rocket, hoping to find something to blow up in the name of peace, so that he could maybe find some peace of mind. "That's how it works, right?" he whispered to himself.

Elsewhere, after a few more rescues, a battle against two villains calling themselves Flora and Fauna (twins with the ability to control plants and animals respectively) at a nearby botanical garden, and a public appearance at a primary school, Izuku and Mina decided to head over to the residence of the former's oldest living mentor: the hero known as Gran Torino. Izuku looked at the place where they now stood with vivid nostalgia. All-Might's old school teacher had decided to stay where he lived, even after 4 and a half years, and it looked almost the same as it did before, flooding Izuku's mind with memories. Mina did not have as much of a connection to this location, but had met the old man several times in her years with Izuku.

"Shall we?" she gestured to Izuku as they knocked on the door. They were soon answered by the short yet powerful man who helped Izuku develop Full Cowl.

"Well, looks like you two finally showed. Took you long enough." He ushered them in. towards the living room. "Sit. This isn't a training exercise." The older man spoke, stroking his beard. The young couple obliged him, sitting on his sofa as he shuffled some papers.

"So, you're going to help us with getting the kids into school?" Mina inquired.

"You whipper snappers should have held off on adopting. You might have proven to be capable heroes so far, but you're in over your heads where this is concerned. Good thing you have your elders to bail you out." The retired Yuuei teacher teased in his gruff voice.

Izuku and Mina were ready to chime in, saying that they knew what they were doing, but he hit the nail on the head and hung a portrait there. As much as they wanted to be there for these kids, they were young and inexperienced, and still just starting out their hero careers, being only a few years in. Mina reflected on this especially. Besides, any help was appreciated.

While this was occurring, Inko was making phone calls, folding clothes, and filling out some forms that had come in the mail. She had checked Izuku and Mina's voicemail to see if there was anything pertinent her son and his soon-to-be fiancée might have missed.

While Izuku's mother was doing this, Eri had decided to go into Izuku and Mina's room to read some of Izuku's comics. She was bored, and since Kota had basically locked her out of their room, barring her from grabbing her own belongings, Eri opted to read some of her adoptive father's collection. He used to read them to her sometimes, while visiting her in the hospital, or when she was in foster care. She loved those stories to bits, though they paled in comparison to her real-life heroes. Mirio had lost his quirk, sacrificing his dreams of heroics, just so one little girl could be safe and happy. Izuku had went out of his way to pick up the pieces and rescue little Eri. He would not let her suffer or be used. Even though she had a quirk (and a potent one at that) Eri had felt powerless in her situation, and Izuku could relate to that. Here she was now, a few years later. That brave young boy was now her dad, one who would treat her the way fathers were supposed to. He loved her and played with her. He told her silly stories.

Mina had not played as pivotal a roll at first, but she was there as part of the rescue team. Eri got to meet this girl, hair as fluffy as Izuku's, with a personality as vibrant as her pink skin. Having one horn on her head, Eri was enamored by Mina's and, when she had finally mustered up the ability to talk to others again, had asked the acid girl if she could touch her horns. They would play games as well and Mina had introduced her to some of her favorite movies (the non-horror ones at least. Mina wasn't going to show a young traumatized girl scary flicks. Her grades in high school might not have been the best, but she was brighter than that.) Eri grabbed one of Izuku's sweatshirts and tied the arms gingerly around her neck, like a cape as she picked out a few comics to read. While she enjoyed stories of heroes as much as her new father did, she especially liked the ones about the red-haired boy and his friend with the crown who really loved hamburgers. Izuku had picked those up once and not read them as much, but they became favorites of Eri's.

She also had the children's books Mina had brought her when she was younger. It was these story times that helped the timid girl with the singular horn slowly learn how to read. She wasn't as adept as, say, Kota, but he had more of a stable upbringing compared to her, even if he did tragically lose his birth parents at such a young age.

Eri frowned. She wished she and Kota could get along better. Both were around the same age, and were both forced to grow up a little too fast given what happened to them. Eri just had a worse go of it because she didn't have a hero team to raise her almost right after her traumatic experience, which was far more drawn out, being treated like a means to an end by her own father and not even knowing her birth mother. Still, they were both saved and adopted by Izuku, so she thought they would at least have more to talk about. She decided to dive into the comics to distract herself from the sad thought until Izuku and Mina returned. She loved her grandma Inko, who was kind, loving, and warm. However, she preferred the young couple in whose care she was now in, much more.

Kota had crept out of the room he had basically annexed at this point. He was feeling regret for his treatment of his new sister. The way he had treated his adoptive parents also gave him cause for remorse. Izuku was the one who got him to reconsider heroes and quirks. He was Kota's hero. He had written a note to Izuku when he was recovering in the hospital. And the boy had recently knocked this very same hero and his girlfriend against a wall with his quirk. A wall in the home that they had welcomed Kota into, along with Eri, a girl who had possibly somehow had it worse than Kota. Was he being a brat? Were his emotions and insecurities sending him backwards towards how he was when he first met Izuku almost 5 years ago? Was he being a shithead? These were thoughts the disgruntled child was faced with. He sighed and went to the kitchen for a soda.

Mina and Izuku opened the door to their apartment around 7 PM. Tired from a day of rescue, battling gang members, and watching infamous anti-heroes take their own lives while announcing their chosen successor. The talk with Gran Torino went well. He would talk to some connections he had from his teaching career and get Eri and Kota into a good school near the Midoriya-Ashido residence. Izuku had some money stowed away from All-Might, being his successor, but neither he nor Mina were exactly rolling in cash.

Unbeknownst to the small family inside, they were being observed. A maniacal smile crept across the face of a young blonde woman as she brandished a knife.

"So, this is where they live. I can't wait to pay them a visit." Himiko Toga stepped out of the shadows in which she had hidden herself and took a photo of the place on her phone, making note of the location. "I can't wait to pay them a visit!" Toga smiled wider, her cheeks blushing as she did so. She dragged the body of a baby sitter with her, having got everything she needed.


	10. Surprise

It had been a hectic week. Between trying to get the kids into middle school (and ultimately succeeding in getting them into Mina's old school), fighting villains, and setting up the party, the day finally came. It was a joint birthday party for Izuku and Mina. Izuku had also sought advice from his mom and Lock Rock, as he felt they would be the best people to ask about proposing and getting married.

Having already showed his mom the ring, he knew he had her blessing. She did offer some concerns about possibly waiting for a year or wo to start preparations, but was so happy for her son and his girlfriend.

"If you ever need any help, I am happy to assist."

Izuku sat on the curb as Lockrock worked on his bicycle, adjusting the wheels and making some small repairs.

"So, you're popping the question this early? ...This is all heat of the moment, isn't it?"

"We're both out of UA."

"Then you should have got married first. Or hell, if it doesn't matter either way, why do you need a piece of paper or a ceremony?"

"We want to make it official."

"You're rushing into all this. The kids, the marriage. Especially the kids."

"I made a connection with them. Mina and me. We want to protect them."

"You got too attached. I get it, You're a good kid, Deku. You proved yourself. But you're a fool if you think you can juggle all this at once. You got too attached to kids you saved. You and your girlfriend are paying house with them, and now you're ready to throw in the towel on your hero career."

"I…I thought you of all people would understand."

"Oh, I do. That's why I'm saying all this. If you really love this girl, and she loves you, fine. But the two of you can wait. If one of you can't, it's not worth it."

"If you wanted to get married. Great. You should have done it before adopting kids. It's not fair to them. Just coming into a new household. With new parents, and then all this other stuff happens. New people. It's not fair to them."

"H-how would you know?"

"For starters, you came to me because I am a father and a husband. Secondly, if you two had really thought about it, you would have gotten married beforehand. Think about it like this. Look at this from the kids' perspective. Shouldn't be too hard. You're still a kid yourself. They Just got taken into a new home, and they're still settling in, and then suddenly they're having to get use to the idea of the two people they live with getting married - So they're now going to be spending weeks on end dealing with total strangers and things they aren't prepared for. The actual event will be even worse for them. How long have you had these kids? A week? Are they even in school? Do they have friends?"

Izuku paused. He was floored. He was annoyed by Lockrock's attitude, but the man had a point. Several in fact. He steeled himself.

"we have faced worse things together. We can handle this."

The older man pinched the bridge of his nose at the young hero's bullish naiveté, at least that's how he saw it. "Urgh... Alright, look Deku, if you plan on doin' this, who am I to stop you? But think about these kids you've got now. Once you pop the question, you can't just back out of it without fucking up what you have with Alien Queen. If you honestly think you can balance everything out, great. If not - Don't. All it takes is one screwup to bring it all crashing down." With that, Lockrock judged his bike one final time before nodding at Izuku and riding off around the block.

Izuku nodded nervously and walked away. He had hoped for more support, but Lockrock was a hard-ass. He wasn't too different from Aizawa in some ways. He was an actual parent and married man though, so he knew what he was talking about. Izuku knew what he wanted to do and would still set out to do so, but Lock Rock's words were rattling around in his head. He tried to shake them off. He had some things to prepare.

Mina was giggling to herself. She was positively ecstatic. She was nervous. There was a lot to be nervous about. She had just recently become a parent of two, at 20 years old. She was nervous about that. It was a scary prospect. Balancing hero careers on top of that was tough. And then she looked at the little box in her hand. This might make things busier. Still, she shrugged. They could do this. Things would work out. They were a team. A family. This would work. She smiled confidently and called Inko.

"Mrs. M? It's Mina. Let me know what time you're picking us up, so we can get to the restaurant before Izuku." She spoke into the phone.

It could hardly be called a surprise party, for the most part. Everyone knew but the birthday couple. Both had planned a surprise party for the other and told all their friends. Therefore, both would be surprised, though by the design of either.

Izuku wanted to get to the restaurant early to set things up. He was a stickler for strategy and organization, even if he had a habit of pushing himself way too hard, even at 70%. As he headed toward the train station, it had seemed the day had other plans. A disco based villain named Dance Commander had walked into the middle of a busy intersection and stopped traffic to control everyone with his quirk. They all burst into spontaneous dance, finding themselves unable to stop. This was particularly disastrous for those who had serious heart conditions, as too much strenuous activity could prove fatal.

"C'mon out, Deku baby. This is my declaration of war! OW!" The villain, a man in glammed out military attire, with bell bottoms, had encountered Izuku before. It seemed he had wanted a rematch. Izuku sighed. "What's with these villains Mina and I meet and their dance challenges?"

"Ey, Dexter! Mind if I cut in? Figured we might be headed in the same direction." A loud Irish voice busted out as she stepped out, cracking her knuckles.

"B-be…. Decibelle? What are you doing here?"

"Trying to find a decent drink. Can't even find a decent fight. This git will do."

Izuku nodded.

"Where's your pink girl, Deku? I wanted her to step in on this too!"

"She's on another dancefloor. Guess we'll have to do for now."

"I warn ye though, ye disco dunce. We have two left feet." Becky grinned madly as she tossed a bag at Izuku, which he barely caught. Opening it up, he found ear plugs. He nodded and put them in.

Becky screamed with her sonic voice to throw the commander off, enabling her and Izuku to both deliver kicks with their left legs, Izuku using full cowl shoot style for his. This sent their funkadelic foe skidding backwards. Izuku took out a pair of cuffs and dashed forward, mimicking Gran Torino's movements to close the distance. With the villain apprehended, Izuku handed him over o police custody and turned his attention to the self-proclaimed "Banshee badass".

"Thanks for the help Becky." He bowed. He was grateful, if not surprised. "What are you really here for?"

"Are ye callin' me a liar, Midoriya?" she scowled. As outgoing as she could be, this woman still intimidated Izuku, ever since he ran into her a year ago while in London.

"N-no. N-not at all, but…" Izuku waved his hands, trying to deny any offense he might have made.

"Relax, Izzy. I'm just takin the mickey outta ye…. I came here to swallow my pride for some blonde jackass who would rather choke on his." She sighed in frustration. "Really shoulda known better."

"Yeah… Kacc…. Bakugou isn't really that open with feelings. He's changed a bit over the years, but… yeah."

"No problem, Izzy." She smacked him hard on the back. "Better get going though. Ye have a party, don't ye?" Izuku sighed at the redhead's comment. She was right. If anything, Mina would be happy to see another friend.

"How did…. You were invited, weren't you?" Izuku's face went from shock to understanding as he let out a sigh. The woman in front of him took out an invitation from her pocket, flashing a smile as she threw it at Izuku's face.

"Go get changed first, Izzy. You don't want to celebrate your birthday in uniform, do ye?"

Izuku sighed. "Ok. Meet me at the address on the card. I'm going to change." Izuku donned his hood again before bounding away into the distance. Becky took out a flask and shook her head before taking a drink. She probably shouldn't drink so much if she wanted to keep her voice intact, but she had never been the best with that.

"Get to hoppin, ye big dopey rabbit. Yer lady's waitin."

After a stop at his apartment, where he noticed Mina and the kids were gone, Izuku changed into blue jeans, yellow and white sneakers, a blue flannel shirt, and a white t-shirt depicting some popular American hero team. He then headed to the train station, so he could go to the restaurant to get ready. He was certainly cutting it close, so he had hoped that some of the guests had helped. He still felt guilty for being late. Heroics was a demanding job though, not that he wasn't going to have his hands full already. Once again, Lockrock's words echoed in his head. Izuku took a deep breath and boarded the train, trying to contact his mother.

Mina had arrived at the restaurant with Ink and the kids an hour or two ago, but she was sitting on the elder Midoriya's car pouting. She had been told to wait outside while they took care of things.

"I planned this party. What is…" Her look of introspection turned into a smirk of amusement. She shook her head and waited for Izuku to arrive. Becky had arrived and greeted Mina before heading inside. Mina was thrilled to see the loudmouthed heroine, but right now, she just wanted to see her boyfriend. He wasn't late or anything. If anything, she shod be hanging with her new kids and getting them used to her, and vice versa. She sometimes worried that her and Izuku were moving too fast with this. She voiced these concerns beforehand. However, Mina had faith that whatever came their way, the two of them could face it together.

Izuku finally got to the restaurant, Another Grill, Another Planet." He was puzzled to see Mina sitting alone on the hood of Inko's car. Playing with her phone and frowning to herself. She turned to see the man she was waiting for and leapt with all the grace and agility of an acrobat off of the car and slid forward with her quirk to greet him. She was wearing a light leather jacket, a red top, fake pearl necklace, jean shorts and black and pink hi-tops. Izuku was stunned by how lovely she looked. He could still never get over that, even after 4.5 years.

"Izu! There you are!"

"Mina? What are you doing here?" Izuku wasn't expecting her here yet exactly. His mother was supposed to drive her and the kids around a bit while preparations were being made. Things started to click into place. Had they both planned a surprise party for each other at the same time? Izuku shook his head. Of course, she would, and of course their friends would know. Ultimately, the party was out of their hands. They were both guests of honor after all.

"What do you mean? I'm here for the same reason as you, apparently?" She smiled, having come to the same realization after she was politely kicked out. This was very blatant, but very fitting.

Izuku exhaled and took Mina's hand. It felt warm. He was overwhelmed by the fact that they lived together, and had done so for about a year. They had been dating for 4.5 years. However, even now, he still felt that spark anytime he held her hand. Mina felt that same spark, her heart skipping a beat as she kissed his hand and walked forward with him. Through those doors, they were all waiting.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Izuku and Mina were greeted by restaurant staff, friends, and family alike as they walked through the restaurant's back doors into the reserved room for the celebrations. Uraraka had made it and was using her quirk on some cups to entertain Kota and Eri. Kota wasn't impressed, but Eri was gigging with joy at the amusing display.

Izuku and Mina bend over laughing trying to contain their joy and surprise at essentially being kicked from the planning committee for their own birthday party. Izuku was the first to speak.

"You guys…You are too much. Thank you. I can really say this is a surprise party. Not sure what could make it more surprising right, mi- "Izuku was cut off right as he was about to turn to his pink girlfriend. He had intended to add more surprise to the proceedings, and yet she had gotten the drop on him.

Mina pulled out a ring with a green diamond. She had been hiding it in the pocket of her jacket. Momo had assisted her with the process of obtaining this specific ring, the diamond matching the color of her beloved. She got down on one knee and gazed lovingly at the boy she loved so much.

"Happy birthday, Izu~ Would you do me the honor of giving me the best gift ever?" she smiled, her heart beating like a drum machine, and all for him.

Izuku looked at her like a deer staring at an oncoming car. Lockrock's words echoed through his head. Was he being unfair to the kids? Was adopting kids this soon unfair to Mina? Could they make this work? They were only 20. They haven't even had these kids for more than a week. The older hero was rough. He was harsh, but he raised very good points. Of course, he would know. He was a pro hero, Izuku's senior, a husband and a father. He knew. Izuku had gone to him for a reason, even though what he had to say wasn't exactly what Izuku wanted to hear. He looked at the floor and took a deep breath.

"Um…. dude? Earth to Izuku? Kind of being romantic here?" Mina had stood up to knock gently on her boyfriend's head as the partygoers looked on in silence.

Izuku looked at Mina and a slow yet sheepish smile crept onto his face as he pulled out his ring box and opened it to reveal the acid proof pink diamond band he had picked out for Mina. Before he could say anything, the pink woman tackled him, planting a large, deep kiss on his lips, wrapping her arms around the green haired boy she had loved for over 4 years.

Cheers erupted from their friends and family, with Inko, Kirishima, and Iida crying tears of joy, for their friends, family, and teammates. Eri cheered happily at the joyous occasion, though Kota couldn't help but look apprehensive.

"we've only been here a week." He sighed. Still, he didn't want to be a party pooper, so he clapped along.

Mina broke the kiss and smiled at Izuku, light tears in her eyes.

"I…. I take that as a yes?" the green-haired young man stuttered out, still catching his breath.

"What do you think, you dork?" she giggled as she slid her ring on his finger. Izuku, after standing frozen in this moment, unable to tell if it was a dream or not, smiled back and slipped the pink ring on her finger.

"Izuku Midoriya of sector 2814, you have been chosen as the big freckle faced nerd I love." Mina threw her arms around his neck.

Izuku chuckled lovingly, tears streaming down his face, so happy that this moment was real.

"Welcome to the rest of our lives." He chuckled before kissing her deeply.


	11. A Joyous Occasion

It was a very lively party, in the back room of another Grill, Another Planet. They had expanded since Mina and Izuku first set foot in the establishment. A who's who of heroes and support professionals was there, as well as family members there to celebrate the birthdays of Deku and Alien Queen. It was only sweetened by the dual proposals of the curly-haired pros.

Becky sat at the bar and smiled, saluting her friends as she took a swig, and saluted the happy couple of birthday buddies.

Their fellow color guard members sat at a table, Kirishima enjoying a steak he had ordered while Shinsou ate from his cutlet bowl, nonplussed on the surface, but happy for his friends deep down. Itsuka was flanked by Momo, who had her arm around her girlfriend as they toasted the happy couple with sparkling water.

"I shouldn't be surprised they were the first of us to get engaged. I mean, they were the first of us to get together after all." The hero known as Battle fist smiled at her team leaders as they posed for photos taken by nearby friends.

"I guess you and Yaoyorozu are next, Kendou." Shinsou smirked as he took a sip from his mug of coffee. He had brought his own, as always. It was a white ceramic mug with a black handle and a cat depicted on the front, holding an hourglass. Above the feline and its prize were the words "The time is meow". It was a tacky gift his high school sweet heart had given him. They hadn't spoken in a while, but he had fond enough memories of her. Plus, the mug spoke to him on a spiritual level. He laughed sardonically on the use of that word: spiritual. It reminded him of his ex, whom he was sure would be around, assuming she wasn't too busy on patrol to make it. Still, that mug had always made his mornings. Anything involving cats did.

Itsuka and Momo blushed at his words, looking at each other to see who wanted to answer the question and what they should say. Finally, Itsuka spoke.

"I mean, it may have come up once or twice." She rubbed the back of her head as Momo looked away bashfully. She could certainly be a commanding presence. The everything hero was one of the very best at what she did and proved to be one of the more versatile pros regarding her quirk and how she applied it. Still, she could become rather flustered in certain situations, and as excitable as a puppy dog in others. Those were just some of the reasons Itsuka loved her so much, and looking at Mina and Izuku, the orange-haired woman couldn't help but glance at her girlfriend and think of wedding bells herself.

"Guess that leaves us as bachelors, huh Shinsou?" Kirishima shot the purple-eyed man a sharp, toothy grin as he leaned back in his chair.

"Speak for yourself, spike. I can get a date pretty easily if I wanted to." The man known as Pursuader scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah. By brainwashing. Not exactly noble, dude." Kirishima shook his head, arms folded across his chest now.

"Nah. I am just more charming than the guy who eats steak with his hands." Shinsou fired back.

"Ouch! Harsh, dude. I suppose you're right though. Which is why you live alone with your cats."

"Are you implying my fur children are not in fact members of my family? I do not live alone, man."

Kirishima managed to say only two words. "Yeah, well…" before Shinsou's quirk took effect, eliciting a smile from its user until he was chopped across the back of the neck by his teammate.

"Knock it off, guys. We're teammates, remember? Besides, we're here to support Midoriya and Ashido."

X

Sat at a table with Inko, Eri and Kota looked at their newly adoptive parents, both children standing in direct emotional contrast. Eri was happy, very much so. She had been so sad for as long as she could remember. Even still, she was still a sensitive child, but she had been shown happiness and would grasp onto it whenever she could This moment was no different. She could feel the love circulating through the room as Izuku and Mina made their way across the room, thanking their friends and family and getting congratulated on their engagement. It was like something from one of the books Eri had read or movies she had watched. She had learned to delve into entertaining media whenever she needed cheering up and the kind people she had come to care for were not readily available to give her affection.

She had barely felt human during her time as Overhaul's prisoner. Even when he was defeated and detained, she was never truly free of him. She could barely smile, if at all. She had known no joy or peace, only suffering and captivity. That is until the kind people rescued her. Deku, who she would later know as Izuku Midoriya, and Lemillion, Mirio Togata, who had been left without a quirk in the aftermath of the hideout raid.

And that wasn't even the only time villain attacks had been part of her life or the lives of her new family. She had no doubt that it wouldn't be the last either. Mina and Izuku were heroes. It was their job.

Kouta picked at his food, his trademark hat hanging from the back of his seat. He had grabbed a plate of some sashimi from the buffet available. He didn't take a lot, as he wasn't all that hungry, and the party would likely go on for a while anyway, so he was in no rush. He was conflicted. He really didn't like coming off as so miserable. That was the old him, the one who had punched Izuku in the junk, who had hated heroes. He had softened on them. After all, he was raised by them, first his parents, but he had lost them at a young age. That act resulted in him resenting heroes until he was saved from the man who had killed his parents. He was saved by the man who had now adopted him, the man he apologized to in a letter. This man was his hero. The Pussycats had looked after him since his parents died and, looking back now, he felt regret for never showing them the appreciation he felt they deserved. They did a lot for him, providing food and shelter and guidance, especially his aunt.

And now, it was all such a whirl. He respected Izuku greatly, and Ashido in turn. They were great heroes and very kind to him. However, it was all going way too fast for him. He didn't want to think that they were living a domestic fantasy. He thought too highly of them, especially given how much he owed them. However, this was way too much so soon. They didn't necessarily have to get married right away, but now it all just seemed so rushed. He barely had time to breathe. He almost broke his own teeth as he gritted them, regretting even thinking this. Alas, a small part of him wished he had stayed with the Pussy cats again. After the kindness his new adoptive parents had showed him over the years he knew them, that filled him with guilt and regret that manifested as a sort of detached anger, one that fed itself on merit of existing. He also missed the pussycats and still felt terrible for Ragdoll's fate, even if he had no part to play in her becoming powerless and couldn't have possibly stopped it. That didn't help him feel any better. None of this did, and he severely wanted to.

He looked at Eri. Poor, sweet, Eri. She didn't deserve the treatment he had given her. She had apparently been through far worse than he had, being essentially used as a lab rat, an asset of the Yakuza and its boss, Chisaki. She had spent so much time isolated and used to produce quirk-erasing bullets that she had lost something for a while that Kouta had taken for granted. His childhood. His youth. His humanity. What's more, he had more of a family prior to meeting Izuku than she did.

It angered him more, knowing how callous he could be. He was a child, he told himself. Of course, he would behave in this manner. And yet it still seemed so wrong. So ungrateful and awful. What would the pussycats say, or his parents had they survived? Parents. He had new parents now. And a sister. And he couldn't be grateful for any of this. Because it was all so swift, and he was so afraid of losing it all. Despite his more mature attitude, he was still just a kid. He was scared and confused and overwhelmed. He just wanted simplicity and peace.

And heroic caregivers weren't going to provide that, even if they wanted to. At least not when they were so young. Thinking that made the horn-hatted boy feel ungrateful, but he couldn't lie. He just wished he could be honest. Instead, he lashed out instead of communicating. Despite his more mature way of carrying himself, he was still just a kid.

Eri looked back at her adoptive brother, who seemed to have been looking in her direction. He was such a confusing and frustrating boy, but if they were going to live together, she was hoping they could get along. She just wished he would tell her what his issue was. That he would apologize for how cold he could be. She honestly liked the idea of having a child her age to play with, though she had her share of anxieties and fears. No matter, she would stay out of his way until he had indicated his willingness to make amends. She wasn't a confrontational girl. She sometimes wished she could be. She wished she could have the fighting spirit of her new brother or her parents, or of Mirio-chan. So many kind people had helped her to find her smile. She almost wanted to help Kouta find his, but he scared her too much with his attitude.

While the two looked at each other, neither ready to approach the other, their grandma watched with concern and sighed. She had raised children before and had her regrets in how she had handled some things. She also had babysat the two before, so she knew that they didn't always get along. However, she would try to mediate on this happy day.

"Now now, kids. Enjoy your meal. It's a special occasion." The stout lady smiled.

Kouta grumbled under his breath as he slowly ate his food, excusing himself to get more when his plate was clean. Eri waited at the table, not wanting to get into it with Kouta. As grandma Inko had told her, it was a happy day. Her new caretakers were engaged and were celebrating their birthdays together, at an important location for them. She wanted to show them all the joy she could muster. She was overwhelmed by the speed of it all, of course. However, she didn't want to be sad or scared. This was a big moment in their lives and she was happy to share in it.

The scent of apple crisp and various other dishes danced around her nostrils, tantalizing her, beckoning the young girl like some sort of fragrant siren. Finally, she excused herself as well and went to grab some more food. However, she was still hesitant of her new brother becoming cross for whatever reason. Tugging on Inko's sleeve, she asked politely.

"Can you come with me? I want food too, but I don't want Kouta to yell at me."

"Of course, Eri berry. Let's go." The kind woman took her new granddaughter's hand and escorted her to the buffet to grab more to eat. "If it helps, I think he is just as nervous as you."

The white-haired girl nodded and offered a soft smile as she took Inko's hand. It felt soft and warm and was a source of comfort for the horned child. Any worries she had about her interactions with Kouta could wait until later, she supposed. Until then, she wanted more food.

X

Izuku and Mina walked back over to their table after all the photos and congratulations. They had stopped by the buffet line first, grabbing their favorite foods among other things. Naturally, both had made sure to have each other's favorite dinners on the buffet menu. They had worked in concert without even being aware of it, while their friends and family connected the dots.

They were greeted by the family. The Ashidos were seated the next table across, her mom, dad, and sisters chatting happily and beckoning Mina over for hugs and back pats. Izuku was barely able to crawl away from the patented Ashido noogie, which he had been well acquainted with from his time dating Mina.

"Happy birthday, you goofy kids. And congratulations!" Mr. Ashido smiled, wrapping his arms around the shoulders of his daughter and future son-in-law.

"Took em long enough." Mite smirked as Takure stifled a laugh.

"Knock it off you two. Be polite." Their mother said as she ate a plate of Yaki Udon.

"Polite? Dear, when has that been the Ashido way?" Mr. Ashido laughed boisterously in that excitable way of his. Mina certainly took after her father, though her mother certainly shined through as well.

The woman shook her head and smiled. "We don't want to embarrass them on their birthday, especially after they just proposed."

"We're her family. Of course, we'll embarrass her." The horned man grinned.

"Dad!" Mina pouted sharply. She was used to it for years, but even she knew when it had to be taken down a notch. Even the excitable pink girl could get flustered and embarrassed.

"Right. Sorry, cupcake. I meant "their family"." He had gotten slightly embarrassed, but soon pounced back with the family's trademark enthusiasm. "Welcome into the fold, Izuku my boy."

The green-haired pro laughed sheepishly as he was once again put on the spot. He had known the Ashidos for years, gained fame for his performances in the annual Sports Festival, and become a pro hero, with a growing following. Not just on his own, but with the Color Guard, and with just him and Mina as a duo. That said, he was still the same flustered, freckle faced nerd he had always been. Mina smiled at him fondly. She would never change that for the world.

"C'mon, Izu. Let's take our seat before this old man starts telling us fishing stories or playing Hanafuda." The pink heroine grinned mischievously back at her family, giving each member a hug before she headed back towards her table.

"I should be offended by that remark, but I forgot what it was in my old age." Mr. Ashido blustered. "Congratulations, kids. And Happy birthday." His eyes twinkled as well, with a single tear sliding down his cheek as the young pair returned to their table.

As Mina and Izuku walked back to talk to Inko and the kids, they smiled and surveyed the area, so filled with loved ones, talking amongst themselves. Two feet away from the jukebox, a table of gifts and cards sat in the corner. Across the room, a beautiful cake rested at the very center of the dessert table. Rikidou Sato, being a pro hero and a professional baker, had assisted with the cake, designing it as a chocolate layer cake in the shape of a heart, half green icing, and half pink. In the middle was an image of the young couple from a photo booth, taken in the early days of their relationship. It really was a fitting tribute to their lives so far, both separate and together.

Mina eyed the cake, licking her lips in preparation for when it was served. For the time being, she followed the gentle tugging of Izuku's hand.

"It's not caking time yet. We have to wait for everyone to finish first." Her fiancée chuckled softly. His laughter was still one of the purest things she had ever heard, and after all they had been though together (their first time, the sports lodge attack, Bakugou's rescue, their first job as pros together, etc.), it still made her heart skip a beat.

Izuku looked with concern as she stopped, noticing the dusting of violet in her cheeks as her eyes sparkled like polished obsidian, filled with love for the man she chose as her partner for life. And like that, Izuku's heart skipped as well. They had been through so much, but they were prepared to go through more, together, as they sallied forth on the next leg of their journey.

They glanced at the presents on the table, then at each other, and finally at the two children now in their care. They would be grateful for whatever they received, but what they had now was all they needed.

X

Outside, taking a break from the festivities, Bakugou sat in the parking lot, taking a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it carefully with his quirk. He may not have shown it, but he was as happy as he could be for his former classmates and fellow pros. He wouldn't call Izuku or Mina close friends, but he had been less volatile to them lately. Granted, he still threatened to damage their property, but that was just how he said hello.

Big parties like this weren't his thing. He had visited London and Dublin in the past, getting to know the heroine known as Decibelle before, and becoming acquainted with the local music scene. He was a drummer back in his UA days after all. He had met pros like Tybald and Villains such as the Daydream Assassin, Sleepy Gene. However, he still didn't really like this kind of thing. He had softened to it though, which got to him. He felt like he was losing his edge, his control. He sighed angrily.

"I should bounce." He said with the calm of a dormant volcano.

"And where d'ya think yer goin, you spiky haired cabbage!" a familiar voice rang out. He really didn't feel like dealing with this right now.

"None o' these lightweights can hang with me. Care to share a pint? In celebration?"

Becky sat down next to the explosion hero, trying once more to give this whole "Talk about our feelings" thing a go, but by the time she had sat down, he had already taken off. She sighed and lit up her own cigarette.

"Arsehole!" she spat as she looked sadly at the pavement. She took a long drag and threw her firestick to the ground, smothering it under her boot. "Mad me waste a perfectly good smoke." She headed back inside to congratulate her friends again and forget the nonsense that had just happened in the lot.


	12. Chapter 12

The kids had been enrolled at Izuku's old middle school. It had been uneventful for the most part, but the two were gradually getting to socialize with children in their own age group. It had gone smoothly enough, though Eri was having a more difficult time. A small pain tugged at Kouta's chest, but he stubbornly ignored it. Now, it was gnawing at him after the two had returned home.

The raven-haired kid had decided it was time enough. He was occupying a room that was meant for two. He was living with his hero and the woman he was engaged to. He was acting like he was when he was so much younger. He was supposed to have matured, not regressed. It was overwhelming, though. He was still a kid, and by some accounts, so were Izuku and Mina. They were legally adults, but still so young.

And he hated feeling so ungrateful to these people who opened their home up to him and Eri.

Eri. She had been through worse than he had. He at least had more of a childhood than she did, being treated like a lab rat for the Yakuza. He had heard she couldn't even smile at one point. He had scoffed at it at first. It seemed so clichéd, like something from a cartoon his aunt used to put on for him when he was younger.

However, she had real trauma, much like he did. It was different in key ways, but it was still something that linked them. They were in this together and he should have been more accommodating. He wasn't as warm and friendly as Izuku or as eccentric as Mina, but he could be kind. He wanted to be.

For now, Kouta was just thinking about what to do, what he should say, and when. It hit him though. He had written a letter to his hero years ago and was now in the man's custody. He owed him an apology, Mina and apology, and Eri one as well, above all. She held no fault here.

He got up and prepared for school. It was kind of nerve wracking, but he could deal with it, at least he hoped he could. He looked to Eri, who had slept once again with Izuku and Mina. He would have to talk to her. No time like the present, he thought. He had faced scarier than this, and so had his new sister. The black-haired boy was still getting used to that.

His stomach rumbled, like the low growl of a dragon as it prepared to feed on livestock and peasants, burning the countryside and the thatched roof cottages in which, the citizens resided. Kouta groaned at how pretentious he sounded for a child yet to hit puberty. He supposed he should get up and grab a bite to eat from the fridge. He thought for a moment however. Eri was likely out there, watching TV with grandma Inko, or going through Izuku's comic collection again.

He let out a sigh as he got off his bed and prepared his sojourn to the kitchen. His stomach had won the argument, and while he was up, the dark-haired boy might as well put this ridiculous problem of his to bed, or at least try.

X

Eri was feeling anxious. She was at home with Mina and Izuku. She trusted them with her life. She had grown used to so many people, but her new parents, her new grandma, and Mirio were the ones she had the most attachment to, followed by the rest of the rescue team that saved her. She also looked to Aizawa as a sort of older uncle, who took care of her and made sure she was save, despite his gruff, aloof appearance.

She was feeling more confident and happy these days, but the trauma she experienced never went away. It would linger for some time. It even led to her not wishing to ever use her quirk. Furthermore, she felt like she wanted to be closer to Kouta, as they were family now. Alas, it just wasn't in the cards, at least not from her perspective. She wished she knew what to say, but she didn't exactly have a way with words. If only genies were real. "Hail 2 U" Or "You ain't ever had a friend like me" is something they would probably say before they gave her the words she needed. She was on her own though, so she would have to do her best.

To be fair, Kouta wasn't much better at this than she was, from what she could tell. It gave her pause for thought. It was something she could use as a stepping stone. The boy could be unpleasant, but she didn't think he was bad. She just wanted to know what his issue was. And if there was enough common ground, she thought that perhaps, they could meet each other halfway.

A peace offering, perhaps. She thought to what she could give him. She knew what she liked but was less knowledgeable about what he liked. It would have been easier if they were closer, so she was unfortunately back at square one. The girl really wanted this awkwardness between her and her new brother to end. She also wanted some of her toys that were still in the room. She supposed she would have to walk right in and start the conversation. It's what her new parents would do. Or Mr. Aizawa. Or Toogata-kun. She swallowed her fear and walked towards the door. Shaking like a leaf.

"K-Kouta? May I come in please?"

X

The TV was blaring some news story about trouble in Hosu, something about a group called "The Children of Stain". Inko watched attentively, or at least she tried to. She wanted to keep an eye on her grandchildren, so she decided she could probably find out the details from Izuku or Mina, or at the very least check the internet. She wasn't totally adept with it, but it wasn't exactly newfangled. It had been around for quite a while, though it certainly was more advanced than what she was used to.

The older woman turned off the TV and decided to check on the two children. She became concerned when she saw Eri out of the corner of her eye head towards where Kouta was holed up. It's not like she didn't want them to get along. She just knew that fighting often broke out, initiated by the black-haired boy. Inko knew he could be sweet. He wasn't a total jerk. She loved and respected her son, and even seemed grateful at first to be able to see him more. Something was up with him for a while now though. She supposed she should try and get some answers. She had tried and failed in the past, but part of parenting was patience and perseverance, in her eyes at least.

Inko didn't want to overstep her boundaries, but Izuku and Mina were on patrol and she was tasked with babysitting. Furthermore, the stocky woman was far more experienced with motherhood. She had been there for years. She stepped towards the room Eri and Kouta were supposed to share but ultimately didn't get too. It seemed like she should check in, intervening if necessary. However, as she listened in, she decided to stop and let things pout.

X

Kouta frowned, looking more tired and contemplative than angry. His hat was perched atop his head still, almost shielding his eyes. He tilted it with a finger and looked straight at his sister.

"I…. I… I want to come in here too. It's my room?" her fists trembled as she looked the black-haired boy in the eye. She liked sleeping with Izuku and Mina. She enjoyed their company and didn't like confrontation. However, she wanted to go into her room. She was tired of being afraid. She was tired of her sibling's rude behavior. And she was tired of not knowing why.

The boy was taken aback slightly, or he would have if he hadn't been lying in bed. He sat up and took his hat off and sighed. He had wanted to apologize to her. He had wanted to apologize to his new parents. He had wanted to tell them it was all so overwhelming. He didn't think he was ready for that yet and it was stressing him out.

Still, isolation wasn't fun. Having a family but shunning them wasn't the least bit enjoyable. He was tired of it and he supposed that he didn't have to go this alone. He could at least talk to Eri.

"Ok."

I…" the girl seemed uncharacteristically ready to stand her ground but was surprised when it turned out easier than she had expected. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her back, but she was still cautious of that relief. She was waiting for it to drop. She feared what came next.

Kouta sighed again and got out of bed, walking over to her, head hung low. Eri flinched a little, not sure what would happen.

"I'm sorry…" the young boy whispered, feeling his legs wobble a little. He hated how much he had reverted to that angry young man, even when shown the light. He had seen a boy defend him, fight for his survival. That boy had now taken Kouta and Eri in as his own. Kouta had a family, much like he did with Water Horse, or the pussycats. They didn't have an animal theme going on, but it was his family now.

"Pardon?" Eri stood there, mouth agape as his words sank in. Was this really going to be this easy? She felt like there was a catch or it was her imagination.

"Don't make me rep…Sorry. Look… I have been rude… Distant... It's not your fault. I shouldn't have taken it out on you." The boy spoke softly and carefully. Even after nearly five years, he was having trouble really being open. He cursed himself for taking so long, even after everything. Still, life had been topsy turvy, as always with the current society. It had its flaws, but people were working to fix it. People like his hero: Izuku Midoriya.

"It still feels so weird and blurry. Izuku… It still feels weird calling him dad. He's still so young. I sometime…I miss my parents. I miss the pussycats. But I feel so grateful for what Izuku tries to do. I just wish I wasn't so terrible at showing it. I feel so hung up… and now they're getting married? I… I don't even blame them. They mean well. But I just wish they had done this before…I hope they hold off on the wedding. We haven't even had time to adjust… I didn't even let you sleep in your own room…"

Kota was crying at this point. He hated to cry, but all that pent-up emotion had to pop eventually. He was frustrated, confused, guilty, and everything in between. It all came out at once and Eri could do nothing but stand there, concern painted across her face.

"So, I push them away, my new parents. They probably aren't even ready yet. Is it fair to them? To us? And the worst part is I push them away. Grandma Inko away… you away. I should be able to relate to you the most and."

He was cut off by a low whine and a warm embrace as Eri hugged him tight. He stood there, thrown for a loop by this latest development.

"You were a jerk and you didn't have to do any of that…but you're my brother now. We… we should try to be family. Because we are."

He wanted to make a comment on how surprisingly well spoken she was for such a soft crybaby of a girl, but he was literally in tears now and he knew she was right, so he said nothing. He only hugged her back.

They broke the hug and looked at each other before Kota finally spoke, rubbing the back of his head. He searched his mind for the right words and settled on ones he thought suitable,

"Right… sorry. I guess I have been so frustrated and lost in the whir of everything… We should stick together, huh?"

Eri nodded with a smile. Ever since she was able to smile again, she cherished the simple gesture more than oxygen. She was still timid; certainly not the most outgoing child in her class. Still, smiling held power for her. It was a comfort in times of darkness. It reminded her of her heroes. It held the spirit of LeMillion and Deku. It reminded her of Alien Queen. It held the hopes and dreams of those that saved her, and she never wanted to let go of that. It was a greater treasure to her than any toy.

Kota smiled back and gently patted Eri's shoulder. "Thank you, Eri. You turned out to be tougher and braver than me. Coming in first, even after how I have treated you. Must've been tough."

"It was. But if Papa Zuku and Mama Mina can do it, so can I." she pouted sweetly, flexing her small arm.

She had learned much in the years since her rescue. Heroes had been a steady factor in her life since being freed from Chisaki's grasp, moth physically and emotionally (though the latter took time.) She was hesitant about using her quirk. It felt too intense and scary, even if it ended up helping her hero in the end. However, seeing others embrace the life of a hero, someone who wanted to help others because it was right; it had inspired her. Someday, she hoped she could be brave enough to be similarly helpful.

Kota shook his head and dried his eyes with a sniff, a smile creeping across his face. This girl was too saccharine even in the face of everything.

"Do you say anything but cutesy stuff?" Kota teased. She was cute, in the conventional little girl manner. However, he could certainly see a glimmer of something he had felt in himself before but had thought lost beneath his fear and anxiety. He saw a spark of bravery within her. He hoped they could both embrace that together.

"I'm not cutesy. I'm telling the truth." The girl wailed awkwardly, flapping her arms.

"Woah. Calm down, sis." Kota could feel himself slump. She could be awfully noisy for someone so naturally quiet. "Guess even shy kids can be loud."

Eri would have rebuked him had her timid nature not won over, though another factor entered into it. One word grabbed her focus and her eyes glimmered as she heard it.

"You... You called… me sis…"

Kota dragged a hand down his face. He was embarrassed by the mushiness of it all. He hadn't done anything but be honest. He could be blunt at times. That's just how he had been. This was merely him being true to himself.

"Well you are, right?" the boy pouted, trying to put up that tough front once more, but it wasn't fooling anyone, especially not Eri. Besides, he didn't need the guilt anymore. "We might as well get along from now on…." The boy paused. Was he rushing forward with this? Should he pace it more? He realized he hadn't really gotten well acquainted with her enough. If they were going to share a room, they might as well share more with each other. He decided that hesitation be damned.

"If anyone picks on you, they will go through me from now on."

Eri's eyes seemed to have lit up at that. It's as if she had received something she was hesitant to request for so long, despite wanting it so badly.

"I would like that, Kota. Thank you. I…I promise the same."

"You really don't have to… but thanks for the offer." He couldn't help but smirk. He appreciated the gesture. However, he figured he would do a better job holding his own. He wasn't in a rush to be a hero, but he figured he could hold his own. His family had consisted of heroes for so long. Water Horse, the Pussycats, and now the Color Guard.

He had grown to respect them more than he had since those days when his parents' deaths still cut deep. He had felt abandoned and it angered him. Now he was thankful. Still, he had his criticisms of hero society, even in his young age. He liked the idea of helping people but had sometimes thought there were other avenues to do that. He didn't need a costume and a codename for that.

Kouta noticed Eri staring while he was lost in thought. He blushed from embarrassment and snapped back to reality. It was too early for him to think about these things just yet. Perhaps when he was closer to high school age.

"What are you gawking at?" the water boy grimaced. His reaction was met with a sheepish smile.

"You were in a trance. And you were kind of talking to yourself." She had observed.

Had he been muttering? That just made Kota tenser. However, he refused to fall back on old habits and essentially ruin what he set out to today. Sure, he was approached first, but he had very intention of talking to Eri.

"So? W-what of it?"

Eri smiled a bit brighter this time. It was a soft, warm grin, like beams of solar energy on a pleasant spring day.

"It's kind of like Papa Zuku."

Kota didn't know whether to be flattered or embarrassed. He was essentially compared to his adopted dad, but also the hero who had save him. He looked up to Izuku, even if he had no doubts about the young man's imperfections. Not that anyone was perfect, least of all him.

"Um…thanks. Come on. Let's go play a game or something."

Eri's smile brightened as much as it could as a wave of excitement washed over her. She had finally made up with Kouta.

"Ok."

X

Inko had overheard the whole thing and could feel the tears well up as her heart swelled with pride. She felt a bit guilty over eavesdropping, but she had originally gone in to help settle things. The older woman had taken a deep breath and smiled as the two young children managed to put their differences aside finally. Was it wrong to take pride in something when you had no influence on it? Perhaps. But these were her beautiful grandchildren now and she couldn't help but feel proud.

She was proud of her son, and of her future daughter-in-law, and of the family they were building. She remembered when she had first met Mina, when Izuku and her had graduated, and when the hero team they had assembled in UA had formed and taken off. The Color guard might have been taking a hiatus to focus on other things, but they were always a call away. In some ways, they were a family too.

Inko decided not to linger too much as she heard the kids wrap up their conversation. She was about to make some snacks for them when she heard a knock.

"Strange. Izuku hadn't told me about visitors. I suppose I should check."

The woman proceeded with caution, placing a few items on the coffee table in case she needed to distract someone. She didn't know if some villain would arrive. Even if the stout grandmother wasn't a hero or a fighter by nature, she would certainly defend herself and her family if she had to, at least until professionals arrived.

Inko supposed she was being paranoid. It could have been a friend of theirs, or a neighbor. The knock came again.

"Almost there."

She took a deep breath and opened the door. She was greeted by a young woman, smartly dressed a holding a cell phone, as if she had just finished a conversation.

"Hiya! You must be Inko. I'm...here about the babysitter position? It's not filled is it?"

Inko relaxed and smiled at the girl. She recalled conversations with Izuku and Mina about hiring a regular sitter. Not that Inko wasn't wanted. They just felt it might be too much for her sometimes and that she could use some me-time now and then. The woman had denied the idea, saying she was fine. However, everyone deserved some rest now and then. She supposed she could at least talk to this woman.

"Sure dear. Come inside. I'll make tea. Have a seat"

"Thanky thanky! You're too kind." She grinned.

The two women walked inside as Kouta and Eri moved on to their parents' room to play board games. Inko laughed softly at how worried she had been at such silly things. Still, there was something oddly unsettling about this sitter's smile.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Silly Inko." She shook her head and walked to the kitchen.


	13. Rendevous in Red

Mina and Izuku were on patrol, just the two of them. Their team mates were off on other assignments and they felt like just tackling things as a duo. It was like work and a date at the same time, as Mina had put it. They had rendezvoused with their fellow members of the Color Guard earlier to fight Brother Sway and his cult again, preventing it from reaching its former glory. They were ultimately victorious, but something about it seemed too easy, unsettlingly so. Regardless, after that, the two decided to investigate a different group that had been growing in number, one that could prove more of a threat than the Next Gang, and possibly even the Sect of Sway.

"I had a feeling, Mina…I just wish I had followed up a lot sooner."

"Babe, we have been busy. We're not the only heroes there are. "

"I know, but this is still raising questions. How did Stain gain his own cult basically? Why was Dabi there? Why him and not Spinner? Where is Spinner? I sort of know the answer to the first. Stain had this sort of…charisma about him and his ideals. The League exploited that…but still, it had been years since he was locked in Tartarus that first time, and he didn't have that massive a following. I like to think some things have been getting better, even if it's only been a few years."

"Izu. You're mumbling again. And we're heading there now, k? No need to worry your pretty little head. We're going to get our answers right now." Mina teased and smirked as she slid alongside Izuku.

"Yeah. I suppose. Anyway, this still has me concerned. The league was pretty terrifying, especially given who was pulling the strings. This might not be affiliated with them…or him… but it still feels like it's dangerous."

"Stain respected you though, right? Pretty sure his followers might at least see you as a real hero."

"Doesn't hurt to exercise a little caution, Mina." As he landed on the next roof top, Izuku, stroked his arm, where he carried the scar from Dabi's flames over 4 years ago. He still remembered how it felt, and everything that came after. It was hard to forget. His mind flashed forward from then to watching Stain take his own life after announcing his successor. It was like a dark mirror of his situation with All Might, though probably not as dire as what he would discover of All for One's mentorship of Shigaraki. At least Izuku could understand the hero killer's ideals, even if they were rather flawed and his methods could not be condoned.

"Just don't tiptoe too much, babe." Mina assured her fiancée, smiling softly as she skated along the rooftops with him. The young man had the lead, but his pink partner was close behind. It suited them to a T.

Izuku came to a halt, having reached their destination. It was rather unassuming, just a back alley. However, given Izuku's encounters with Stain, and where Bakugou was kept back when he was kidnapped by the League of Villains, taking an alleyway for granted was a foolhardy move.

Izuku whispered to Mina, who had now taken a seat next to him, crouching like a pink gargoyle.

"Could you pass me those binoculars, Mina? I think I see where they've been gathering."

Mina nodded silently as she reached onto her utility belt and handed her partner what he had asked for. They were similar to the ones Kirishima had used when they rescued Bakugou. However, they were slightly more advanced, being top of the line.

It wasn't as action-packed as saving hostages or fighting villains, or disaster relief. However, stake-outs were just as important to heroics as the more glamorous work. Heroes often had to work with police and as such, did some of the same jobs, especially when working at agencies. Izuku had also tried to foster a greater emphasis on community service, backed by older pros such as Death Arms.

Movement registered as the one-for-all inheritor scanned the alleyway. A small group of three individuals walked into the alleyway and looked around to see if they were followed. Izuku and Mina crawled back silently, trying to hide from site in case one of the individuals looked upward.

The coast was clear for the trio. One of the three, a girl in her early 20s with a half-shaved head and red sclera, knocked on a shabby looking wall. It slid open partially as blood oozed out. It started to bubble and pop as it slowly assumed the form of a lanky looking man. The features of the blood form were intricate, morbidly so. Droplets formed as it spoke in a slurred voice, dripping like fresh red paint. The verdant hero only wished he could hear what was being said.

X

"Were you followed?" the blood golem slurred in a hushed tone. The construct moved unsettlingly, as any hologram made of pure gore instead of hard light should.

The red-eyed girl spoke, flanked by her comrades, a tall bald, gray skinned androgyne with the musculature of an acrobat, and an older looking gentleman of short stature in a bowler hat, skin as pale as moonlight and teeth like jagged rocks.

"Nobody follows me without getting the business. Don't bother asking me the password, you know I know it."

The blood doll spoke again, impatience in its hiss.

"We have security for a reason. So, I insist: password. Each of you."

The woman rolled her eyes, impetuous, yet understanding of the reasoning.

"All due respect, couldn't they just hear me speak the password? If they were impostors, they could get it from me."

The older man sighed, tapping his foot as he looked at his pocket watch. He was clearly older than even stain was when he died. One would suppose that Stain wasn't the first to grow disillusioned by current hero-society and that his ideals would reach the hearts of the old as well as the young.

"Show more respect than that, Kana. We have business here."

"I know, hence my eagerness. Well, Ketsueki? You gonna make some of us cover up our ears? Or are you going to do that thing you showed me." Kana smirked, her eyes showing a calm mischief as she steadied herself.

The blood form undulated, nodding as it opened its mouth, spitting out four globs of blood, shooting off and flying into the ears of both the androgynous gray person and the old man. They both jerked back in surprise as the blood filled their ears and coagulated rapidly, blocking their ears so they couldn't hear.

"Still a neat trick. Alright. Akaguro."

The blood form bowed, and the door opened wider for Kana. Stroking the hair away from her eyes, the red-eyed girl smiled with satisfaction. She tucked her hands into her pockets as she headed inside, the door shutting behind her so that the next person could be asked.

"Hofuku, step forward. Prove your validity." It hissed once more, releasing the blood from the agender being's ears. Panting for a brief moment, Hofuku regained their composure and spoke.

"Akaguro."

Once more, blood form bowed and allowed the next person in.

Watching this from the rooftops, Izuku was disturbed. He had seen and fought far worse. That didn't lessen how odd the quirk was that he was observing.

"Some bouncer, huh?" Mina whispered softly in his ear, showing clear discomfort as well, despite her hushed tone.

"I've never seen this quirk before. The hero killer's reputation had spread, and this group seems to be following his example, but so far, a lot of them are low key. We don't know how many there are or who are in their numbers aside from the ones we just saw, Dabi, and Spinner. Not even the media has much on them outside their name and their mission, albeit in summary."

"Ya know, you don't have to give me an entire article about them, Izu." Mina smirked, nudging her partner as he passed the binoculars.

While the two heroes conversed, the old man panted, clutching his cane as he looked towards the door. There had been a different door person the last time. In fact, he was pretty sure it was the second in command himself. The old man preferred him to the actual leader, but he had to admire both. Plus, there was something about the leadership answering the door themselves that lent itself to the group's mission statement. Still, they must have been busy, perhaps an early start to proceedings.

"Hurry inside, Kamisori. You are late." The form hissed as it acknowledged the old man and slithered back inside, leaving a rail of blood that followed swiftly behind. After that, the door had shut.

Izuku and Mina wished they had Jirou with them, but she was currently on a date with her girlfriend and, had she been on duty, it still would have taken her time to get there. That was the downside of some quirks that UA was only recently starting to take strides towards addressing.

Not all powers were equal, and some were better suited for certain situations. Izuku could leap from building to building while Mina could surf along the ground. The vitality hero, Nejire-chan or the winged hero, Hawks, could fly. Some others had to commute if they were needed outside of their normal stomping grounds. Izuku was even tempted to call in some vigilantes, but aside from the legal problems that would cause and the damage it could do, they were rather hard to get in touch with.

Furthermore, none of the ones he was aware of had powers that would be useful in this situation. All he and Mina could do right now was confirm the location and come back later. Confirming that the coast was clear, Izuku looked to his partner.

"Guess we should take note of the location. I'll lock in these coordinates and…hold on…just a second…done!" Mina wasn't as tech savvy as Hatsume or some of her other former schoolmates, but she did the job in a matter of moments. Given what happened next, it was rather timely.

Both heroes' communication devices went off at the same time, buzzing viciously as if they were convulsing. Mina had hers in her hand already, so she checked it first. Her black eyes widened as a chill ran over her. Izuku didn't even have to ask as he had checked his shortly after.

"A prison break? Now?"

"Guess so. We gotta move" Mina groaned. Given the nature of these breaks, it was obviously planned. However, the timing seemed a bit too good to be a convenience. Were the Children of Stain involved? The league? Was Brother Sway acting again so soon? He might have had mind control powers to surpass Shinsou's, but it seemed too soon. Whoever it was, there were too many questions, and none of them had a good answer.

X

Rengoku penitentiary was located in a remote area on the outskirts of Hosu. These certainly weren't villains on the same level as Stain or All for One. However, they were still villains and still a threat, so security was upped with various quirks in this world, you could never be too cautious. A significant number of protocols were put in place to keep. They weren't as state of the art as Tartarus, but the security should have been enough to deal with such threats, at least until they could be transferred should the need occur.

Sitting in their cells, wearing strength diminishing cuffs and collars, members of the NEXT gang, specifically Strong King and Kaiser Sane, were being monitored. While not necessarily Tartarus material, the NEXT gang was nothing to snuff at. The two villains were even being considered for transfer to Tartarus. The criminal organization tended to be less grandiose than the League or Stain, but they had numbers and a variety of potent quirks. Police and heroes were taking them more seriously as their reputation grew. Having members scouted by the league, as if the were a villain version of UA, certainly gave no cause for comfort.

A new guard came in to relieve the previous one. His name was Renji Basho, aged 35. His quirk wasn't anything spectacular. He could turn his arm hairs into quills, like those of a porcupine. Had he wanted to, he could have entered one of the hero schools. However, his dream had always been to become a police officer, like his parents. To him, they were just as important as heroes, if not more.

"Hey, I'm new, but your shift is up." A female voice filled his ears. The new guard wore her hat low, covering her eyes and her uniform was freshly pressed, as if brand new.

"Really? Could have sworn I had another hour. Hold on rookie. Let me check my watch." The man spoke as he stroked his double chin, stubble as scratchy as a wool sweater.

"That is a nice watch. May I see?" the replacement asked, gently touching the band of the timepiece.

"Oi, don't smudge it. My dad gave this to me the day he died." Renji spoke in a bemused tone.

"Oh…sorry. Guess that makes it fitting then." The woman smirked as the guard clutched his wrist in pain and confusion. The watch quickly turned into barbed wire, digging into his flesh as he tried to take it off.

Removing her hat, the woman astonished the two prisoners being watched over. They both gave a knowing smirk as the hat shifted into a baseball bat and cracked across Renji's skull with full force.

"Too bad you have nobody to pass it onto." The woman spoke, revealing herself as Asuka, leader of the NEXT gang. Gently touching the barbed wire, she transformed the barbed wire back into its original form and removed it. "So, I'll just help myself."

With a devilish smirk, the bald girl removed the keys from Renji's body, used him for a quick retinal scan, and in no time, her compatriots were out.

"What took you so long, Empress?" Kairi sighed, stretching her legs as Shinsuke was released next. As the alarms started to blare, the trio realized they had tripped something.

"It figures. Let's split. I'll tell you two about my day when we get out."

Asuka placed her hands on the shoulders of both her officers and transformed their prison garb into guard uniforms, and the splintered bat into hats for all three. Asuka smiled devilishly as she thought up a plan. It would be a long shot, but if it went south, it just meant things would get messy. She was just fine with clean up.

"But first, let's see how good your acting is."


	14. Jail Break

Izuku's phone kept buzzing, but he had no time to answer. Duty called and there was a breakout to stop. Mina's phone was similarly lively, but she had to put it on hold as well. If it was family, as rude as it was to think, they could wait. This was a major incident in the middle of significant investigation. As much as it pained the young couple. Some things had to take priority. Besides, anything that arose, Inko could likely handle it.

It took a while to get there. Having recently gained the ability to fly like All Might was once capable of, the torchbearer of One for All sped along. He was still getting the hang of things, but some help from other pros like Nejire-chan of the big Three, as well as some pointers from Gran Torino gave him some insight. Izuku managed to carry Mina half of the way, while the other half she used her own quirk.

Ay other time this had happened, she would say something along the lines of "I will never get sick of this!" and then throw up as soon as she made landfall. It was endearing, if not messy.

However, now was not the time for that and the pink woman managed to keep her lunch down as she and her fiancée raced towards their destination. Neither hero was sure who would be broken out, but they had a few thoughts on the matter. Nevertheless, they needed to be prepared for anything. The prison may not have been Tartarus, but it was still filled with villains

Arriving at the scene, it appeared that the heroic couple had arrived just in time. The villains hadn't left yet, not having access to any teleportation powers. They were nothing to scoff at, especially given that it still remained to be seen who else had escaped.

The complex seemed to be in lockdown, but Izuku and Mina entered and scoped the vicinity out. There were no escapees in sight yet, and that was worrisome. If they were still around, that meant they could be apprehended. However, it also meant that, whomever they were, they clearly had other business to attend to.

"Hey! Oi! Heroes! Thank goodness!" a gruff voice rang out, calling the attention of the heroes.

"Oh. Hello, officer. Have you found the villains yet?"

"Not yet. But there are more currently breaking out. It's total madness. They let out an entire cell block out. It's good you're here."

"It's ok. Calm down. We'll help you. When did they escape."

Another guard came up behind Mina, spooking her from the suddenness of the situation.

"Oh…about…" The guard was female, her hair tied into a bun to fit with her hat. She checked a watch, one that seemed rather filthy. Mina noticed specks of blood on it. Before she could ask about the watch, an explosion went off nearby, followed by the releasing of all the villains in the area.

"Now!" The female guard smirked, taking off her hat and revealing herself as one of the escapees.

"Looks like you two are going to be busy cleaning up our mess. It's about time for our break though. Don't tell the warden." She winked, placing a hand on her temple and releasing a psionic wave that brought the duo to their knees.

"You! Then that means!"

"Well? Go on, bubblegum. Say my name. I love the accolades. Besides, I want to hear it before we get out of here and leave you to your job."

"Empress! You smug, bald!"

"Don't let her egg you on. We have work to do."

"But there's too many, and they're going to get away."

"Then we have to call in our friends."

Izuku pressed a beacon on the side of his utility belt, knowing exactly where it was from instinct and organization. Second pouch on the left. That would alert his and Mina's teammates. If the main roster was busy, any allies or reserve members that were on standby would get there as soon as possible. A voice picked up almost immediately. It was Itsuka, and judging from the sounds, she had just returned to her apartment. It wasn't ideal to call someone back into work after they finished their shift, but it was certainly an emergency.

"Midoriya? What's up?"

"Prison break. NEXT Gang. They release an entire cell block. We need help." Izuku called out as he punched his way through several villains. Some were easier than others. Cut Paste was there, as was a villain with a plant-based quirk that Mina and he had fought some time ago. Several less prominent rogues were locked up here. They certainly weren't Stain or Overhaul level threats on their own, but together, with dreams of freedom and an axe to grind, they would prove formidable enough.

"Jeez, what did you two get wrapped up in? On our way. We'll spread the word in case Asuka and her goons get out."

Izuku could only assume she was bringing Momo, which would be a plus. One of the top heroes and a good friend, Creati was one of the best back-up members of the team and had filled in for Kirishima when he had been out of commission for several months after a fight with Muscular and Rappa, who had taken to calling themselves the bloodbath Brothers.

Izuku turned his focus back to Mina.

"Backup's on the way?" Mina grunted as she assumed a capoeira stance and used her acid fountain attack at a non-lethal concentration. After catching several enemies off guard, the pink woman went to work knocking down as many as she could before one grabbed her from behind for a gorilla press.

Izuku swiftly freed her by socking the villain in the jaw.

The couple danced almost as they did their best to put the first wave of enemies behind them. It wasn't easy, as it was an entire cellblock of fairly capable villains, but they had tackled harder, together and on their own.

Anticipating this level of teamwork, Asuka had decided to take a detour.

"Why are we still here, Empress? Shouldn't we be, you know…escaping?" Strong King took off his cap to stroke his sweat soaked hair. He lived a good fight, but the gang member knew his priorities. Getting thrown back in prison without actually leaving the vicinity was just counterintuitive, and as good as a challenging bout was, freedom was even better.

"Green bean and Pink Lemonade back there probably called for back up and will likely mop-up some of those goons. I'd rather keep them preoccupied."

It was rather reckless, the man thought. It was a bit of a gambit. However, he trusted his friend. Ever since their teen years, they had been like next of kin. The gang was a family in a way. They tended to look out for one another and if they got caught, they would be free again. However, traitors and snitches would get disowned. Some weak links had to be cute, and he knew this.

"Fair enough, Asuka. Let em out!"

With a wide smile and a wiggle of her fingers, Tomorrow Empress released the next cell block and prepared to make her exit.

"There we are. Have fun, kids. Kairi, let's jet."

Due to a mental link she ad set up, the psionic pirate queen tiptoed happily out of the area and bid her erstwhile captors farewell.

Izuku tried keeping his cool. However, he knew there was still work to be done. Villains he and his team had apprehended were going free, two heroes were left to clean up a wave of escapees, even if they were capable enough. What's more, he and Mina wanted to return home. They had a family waiting and even if this was important work, the two young heroes wanted to be good at this. Were they in over their heads? Were they moving too fast? What if an emergency came up and they couldn't get there in time.

Mina thought these things, just as she knew Izuku would. What's more, she had a bit of a rivalry with Asuka. The Empress might not have been a major villain in the grand scheme of things, but she was Mina's arch nemesis, somebody with whom she had a bitter rivalry. This was her Shigaraki, her Stain. It started out as some sort of after-school rivalry but grew into something where the pink woman really did think the gang leader would use family as leverage, just out of spite. Plus, anyone with a transmutation quirk like that could prove formidable with the right mind frame (or wrong, depending on your perspective).

And now that woman was walking free, and it probably wouldn't be made any easier next time they faced each other. Mina cursed under her breath and looked towards Izuku. He was surrounded and even with 70% of One for All, there was only so much he could do. If he went all out, he could destroy the prison and leave casualties, which wasn't how they did things. Until then, Mina would back him up as always. AT home or at work, they were a team and she would never let him down.

"Izu, watch out!"

Delivering a strong kick to the jaw of one of the escaped prisoners, the Alien Queen grabbed her fiancée's hand, reflexively going for the Tennessee Tango, one of their combo moves.

"Thanks, Mina." The One-for-All holder smiled, using the training he did with Mina years ago. He still wasn't exactly a world class dancer, but he did well enough to execute the moves and implement them in his combat style.

"Any time, Izu." She smiled back.

The two prepared for the oncoming wave of fresh escapees, but a large hand shot out and swatted some of the criminals away, while the others were distracted by smoke bombs hidden in nesting dolls.

"Sorry if we ran late. Mind if we cut in?"

Standing there triumphantly were another power couple and some teammates of Mina and Izuku's. Battle Fist and Creati had arrived, and they were ready to help clean up.

X

"Thanks for the save. Took you long enough though."

"Don't sound so ungrateful. I've been busy."

The leader of the gang took off her uniform and tossed it aside, transforming it into pure cotton. Her current outfit consisted of a black tank top with a mask on the front and "NEXT" spray painted on the back. She couldn't remember where she came up with the name. It might have been from wrestling, it might have been because she set the organization up as the next wave of villains, or maybe it was a sort of snotty, cheeky reference to the words All Might spoke after his final battle before retirement. Asuka couldn't remember anymore. It was hard to keep your story straight when you weren't. She told a few friends that once in their warehouse base. They asked if she meant "straight" as in legality or as in sexuality. She only winked and told them to suit up for their next job.

"With what? Couldn't take that long to plan this break could it?" Kairi wasn't as hotblooded as her fellow officer, in fact, out of the three gangsters currently heading out to commandeer a police truck, Kairi was the "sweetest." At least that's how she told it. Often resulting in a middle finger from Asuka and a request to "stick it in your booty, Kai!" She looked at her boss and childhood friend with a look of bemused curiosity.

"I've been collaborating with some others. Decided to send a housewarming gift to our buddies back there. Just checking on Wander over Yandere to make sure she did her part. Plus, I cut a deal with some of her blood buds."

"Don't tell me we're in with that weird murder cult started by the hero killer?"

"Hey, sometimes you need to network in this business. Now shut up and drive, Shin. I'll get us some food. You must be starving after that shitty prison slop. Now one moment." Empress focused and changed the paintjob on the van by shifting its makeup a bit. Her quirk had its limits and she couldn't just change the make of the car that easily, so the color would have to do. After that, she took out her phone and

Strong King sighed and shook his head, not wishing to get into a dumb argument with this woman and preferring to put as much distance between them and the law as quick as possible.

"Whatever you say, Empress. Might be best to make it to go though."

Kairi sat in the back, not having a good seat, which was an inconvenience, but she could complain later when they got back to base. For now, it was good to be out of prison.

Asuka nodded in response to the driver and listened carefully to the other person on the line.

"So, it's done? Sick. Good to hear. Don't they have brats though? Hold on…. don't kill them. I got an idea, stabby. You left your murder crush a surprise, yeah? Why not give him a scavenger hunt too…? yeah. Thought you might like that. Ok…. Yeah, sure. Tell Stain 2 or Skid marks or whatever Dabi calls himself we'll be by later to discuss the terms…Oh, cool. He hasn't changed his…What do you mean you aren't affiliated? I…. Look, I know you have him on speed dial, just…. fine. Text me later. Bye."

Asuka hung up and pocketed her phone. The woman with the shaved head groaned as she massaged her temples and reclined in the passenger seat. After taking a deep breath, she exhaled through her nose.

"Alright, that's settled. Now let's get some burgers. Courtesy of "Renji". He won't mind."

The three friends smiled mischievously as they headed off towards fast food, freedom, and a shaky new alliance.


	15. An announcement: possibly sad

Hey gang! Sorry for the slowness again. I have been preoccupied. I have a new job but not a lot of hours so I am looking for a second one to bolster it. There are also other things I won't get into here. I have also been doing every day of Rare Pair Month on Tumblr and that has been taking my focus too.

I want you all to know that I will be getting back to my fics again soon. It might be less frequent than it used to be but I will try. Which brings me tho this semi-sad announcement.

Folks, this fix kind of stopped being fun for me. There is too much going on in it and I almost think that Aizawa and Mandalay would have been a better fit for this premise of serving as pros and raising kids.

I keep putting this one off as well and just...I have ideas I put into play that haven't paid off yet and some things I like. It's also my first MHA fic so I don't know if I want to delete it.

But I am done. I have other fics and ideas I am far more passionate about, and not just for MHA. Walk in the Park is probably my favorite Minadeku fix I have done so far and that one is more fun to write and more popular anyway.

Also,I want to write Zelda and Doctor Who again, as well as my own original stuff.

So someone close to me gave me an idea.

I will orphan this work. If anyone wants to play with it and complete it, they are free to contact me and we can work it out there. If not, I might delete it. It feels better than just leaving it to wither uncompleted.

But the spark is just not there like it once was. Guess that's what I get for writing too much at once and having too many ideas.

But yeah, I am afraid I am done with this one for now. It was cute and fun while it lastedand I was starting to get better with finishing stuff, but I think I have moved on.

Thanks for sticking with me. My next update should (hopefully) start soon and should (hopefully) be the long awaited return of a fix only a few of you probably remember: To Kakariko With Love.

Til next time, love and peace!

P.S. I don't know how to orphan a work per se, so any takers might have to walk me through it.


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